The Tale of the McGuire Gordons
by PersonY2K
Summary: COMPLETE! The story of Lizzie and Gordo, from the day they were born until the day they got married. And after that too...! Major LGness. !COMPLETE!
1. Birth

The Tale of the McGuire-Gordons  
  
Summary: The story of Lizzie and Gordo, from the day they were born until the day they got married. Major L/G.  
  
Chapter One: Birth  
  
A/N: Sorry if the first few chapters are sort of boring. I'll have a little more dialogue and more the way they think when they get a little older, like five years old. I seriously don't know how a baby's mind works, so I kinda guessed.  
  
***  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
I was a very odd little baby. Born on June 12th, 1989, everyone agreed that they had never seen anyone like me before. The nurses said to give m e a couple weeks before they think anything is serious, but I ate nothing, drank nothing, and never opened my eyes.  
  
And I cried nonstop for a week.  
  
"Shouldn't we do something?' Roberta, my mother would always ask over the screeching of her son.  
  
"It's psychology. Let him cry, and he'll show us what's wrong." My father responded. "Maybe he'll be quiet then."  
  
But I kept crying, long and hard.  
  
Until the day Lizzie was born.  
  
***  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
I was born on June 19th, 1989, in Hillridge hospital at 5:24 AM as Elizabeth Brooke McGuire. Not early, not late, just as predicted. Plain as that. But who knew that this plain little baby would one day have the most extraordinary life?  
  
"Oh, look at her!" Jo exclaimed. "She's so sweet!"  
  
"My little Lizzie." Sam picked me up and rocked me back and forth.  
  
I began to cry.  
  
"Oh no! Sam, what did you do?" Jo took me back and kissed me on the forehead, wiping the tears away from my eyes. I continued to cry. "Baby, what's wrong?" She cooed in my ear.  
  
"Maybe she's hungry." Roberta Gordon examined my face, with her own child in her arms. "Or maybe tired."  
  
"Or maybe she just needs to be around more people." Howard, Roberta's husband suggested.  
  
That sprung an idea in my mother's head. "Honey, meet the Gordons." Jo whispered, holding me out to the family, hoping that would calm me down.  
  
At the sight of more grown-ups, I began to cry even harder.  
  
And suddenly, I heard another cry from across the room.  
  
I stopped.  
  
"Oh, David." Roberta came up to Jo and sighed. "I don't know why this keeps happening. Are babies supposed to cry for no apparent reason?"  
  
And then David stopped crying when he heard me stop crying.  
  
"And stop for no apparent reason?"  
  
"Shhh... I think your daughter is getting acquainted with our son." Howard shushed the parents.  
  
I looked David straight in the eye. He looked curiously back.  
  
And for the first time all day, my mouth twitched into a little smile. 


	2. First Year, First Word

Chapter Two: First Year, First Word  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
My first birthday party. Something I'll never forget. Well, okay, so I *did* forget, but after my mother showed me the tape, I feel as if I'll never forget it.  
  
It's the day me and Gordo officially became best friends.  
  
My mother was planning on throwing me a humongous first birthday party. She shopped day after day, trying to find the right shade of crepe paper, or the perfect present, or the perfect cake. She had her heart set on a colossal party with fifty people and total chaos around the house.  
  
Well, unfortunately, my father didn't. He wanted a quiet party, and I think I agreed with him. I wasn't used to lots of people, and the only people I was used to being around was the Gordons. I was a really shy baby, I hadn't spoken a single word even by the time I was one. Some people thought I was a mute, but other doctors assumed that I'd find my voice soon enough.  
  
"Look, honey, I think Lizzie will get overwhelmed with the idea of so many people in our house. Why don't we just invite the Gordons over for a nice, quiet dinner?" Sam begged.  
  
"I don't know... Sam, this is a big event. Out little girl is turning one full year old!" The argued like that for days. Soon Mom caved in and they settled on a little party with David's family.  
  
***  
  
The day finally arrived. Well, for me, it was just another ordinary day, but my parents knew better. All day they gave me whatever I wanted, and not once, did I cry. I decided that this was some sort of special day when I get to be treated nicely.  
  
When the Gordons arrived, I smiled nonstop. David, their son, and I had been around each other for a while (okay, a year), and clicked instantly.  
  
"Davie, say hello to Lizzie." His mother urged.  
  
"Hello. Me Da-id." He recited proudly.  
  
My mother was jealous that their child could speak, and hers hadn't even said a word yet. She hated the fact that someone's baby was better than hers. "Um... sit down. Do you want anything to drink?"  
  
But David and I paid no attention to them. We both could walk, so I toddled into a room to play with my toys, and he followed me.  
  
"Hello. Me Da-id."  
  
I scrunched up my nose at him. This guy was weird. He made sounds from his mouth, just like the big people did, and I thought that was odd. I started playing with my new Barney stuffed animal quietly, trying to ignore him.  
  
"Da-id."  
  
I cocked my head at him. Yup, he was definitely insane.  
  
I continued to play with my stuffed animal, and to suck on my thumb. Even though he was weird, he wasn't too bad, like the other people I'd met in places like grocery stores or malls or stuff. At least he was the same size as me.  
  
"Lookie." He said, pointing to his open mouth. I saw four little stubs of what were evolving into teeth.  
  
I smiled at him.  
  
"Me Da-id."  
  
I blinked at him seriously, and wondered if I could make a sound with my mouth.  
  
And then I did it.  
  
I said my first words.  
  
"Da-id?"  
  
Probably the best present I've ever gotten. 


	3. Terrible Twos

Chapter Three: Terrible Twos  
  
A/N: I know that they act more like four year olds in this, but I'm trying! Just pretend that they are really smart two and a half year olds.  
  
***  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
Lizzie was a fast learner. Soon she began to talk as well as I could. Everywhere we'd go, she'd shout: 'Look-it, Da-id!' By age two we both could say our 'v's, but Lizzie refused to call me David. She said that 'Da-id soundeds betterer.'  
  
Along with her constant blabbering, Lizzie learned how to get into mischief. She loved messing stuff up. I remember this one time when we were almost three...  
  
"Da-id, we *hafta* eat cookies. Me hungry!" She whined.  
  
I frowned. "Me too. I haven't ated since one thirty o'clock." (A/N: I'm serious, I know some kids who actually say 'one thirty o'clock'. It's hilarious!)  
  
"Let's go tell Terry."  
  
We ran into Lizzie's living room, where Terry, our babysitter was watching her soaps on TV. "Terry, me and Da-id are hungry!"  
  
"Please! No! Come on Ashley! Don't let him do that to you... Brian's so much better looking..." She started yelling at the television set.  
  
We exchanged confused glances. I went up to her and pulled on her pant leg. "Te-reeeeee!" I whined.  
  
"Don't break up! He's just setting you up!" She responded.  
  
I ran into the kitchen, where Lizzie was waiting for me. "She won't listen."  
  
Lizzie smiled as a grin covered her face. "Ooh, let's make some cookies all my ourselves! It's easy. I see Mommy doing it a lot, and me thinks we can make some too!"  
  
Now, if I was only a little older, I'd realize how bad of an idea this was, but hey, I was only two and a half. "Okay."  
  
Lizzie walked into the living room once again. "Terry, what do me and Da-id needs to make cookies?" She asked.  
  
"Flour, sugar, three teaspoons of baking powder... oh, great. She fell for him. Can't she see that he's just doing so he can break her and Brian up?" Terry started yelling at the television again.  
  
Lizzie bounded back into the kitchen. "She said we needs flowers, sugar, and three tea spoons of powder."  
  
"Where can we get flowers?" I asked her, eyeing the window. "Ooh, lookie!" I pointed outside where some daisies were growing in a garden.  
  
"Let's go!"  
  
We ran outside, and pulled out of the ground four flowers. The garden looked horrible by the time we came inside. "Ooh, pretty flowers." Lizzie said.  
  
We climbed up onto the counter using a chair. "Ooh, I know this part! Mommy always does it. She put the flowers in that thingie!" I pointed at the blender.  
  
Lizzie stuffed all the flowers into the blender. "Okay, now we need sugar."  
  
I looked at Lizzie weirdly. "What's *that*?"  
  
"Mommy always uses this white stuff when she makes cookie." Lizzie pointed at the salt. "She calls it 'sugar'."  
  
Soon the salt shaker was in the blender, too.  
  
"Now what?"  
  
"Three tea spoons." Lizzie made a face. "This is hard."  
  
"Wait, mommy and daddy drink that yucky tea stuff! And my daddy always uses a teeny spoon to mix up his tea!" I picked up a plastic fork laying by the sink. "There. Tea spoon."  
  
"But we needs three of 'em."  
  
I picked up two more silverware spoons out of the sink and stuffed them into the blender. "Three."  
  
"Powder! Oh! I know this one! Mommy always puts powder on me after I take a bathie!" Lizzie smiled.  
  
"Me too!"  
  
We slowly inched our way off the counter, once again using the chair so we didn't fall, and hobbled toward Lizzie's room, where a box of Johnson's baby powder was lying on the floor. We picked it up and ran into the kitchen again, tossing the box into the blender. And then we waited.  
  
And waited.  
  
And waited.  
  
"Maybe it wants some water." Lizzie suggested, so we poured cupfuls of water into the blender, hoping that our cookies would be done.  
  
But it didn't move.  
  
"Hmmm... Mommy always pressed buttons." I said, staring at the five buttons that lined the blender. "Then the cookies got made."  
  
Lizzie curiously pressed a button.  
  
The blender started whirring, shooting water up into the air, along with clopped up flowers. The salt shaker and silverware were making awful clanking noises. Soon Lizzie and I were drenched in a gross mixture of water and baby powder.  
  
"AHHHHH!" Lizzie screamed. "Make it stop! Stop it!!!!"  
  
We both started crying right there on the counter, with the blender still running, and water dripping onto our heads from the ceiling.  
  
Terry ran into the kitchen. "Oh, god, what did you guys do!?" She yelled, pulling the plug out of the outlet.  
  
Everything stopped. Even our crying.  
  
Lizzie bowed her head and stuck her lower lip out. "Sorry." She trembled.  
  
Terry looked at me, expecting an answer.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
That was just one of the many 'sorry's to come. 


	4. Changes

Chapter Four: Changes  
  
A/N: I'm going to sixth grade in three days. :*(  
  
That really sucks. I got a really mean teacher (or so I heard), and plus, I'm not a big fan of school. Well, at least I'm the oldest in my school and can make fun of the puny fourth graders. (No offense.) I kinda miss the interaction or whatever with other people, so it'll maybe be a good thing.  
  
Ugh! School also means that I can't write as often anymore. Boo. :(  
  
But I'll try. ^_~  
  
Hey, everyone, get the Lizzie McGuire Movie DVD! It's so cool!  
  
A long but awkward chapter. Goody! I know you guys are disappointed that there's not much L/G romance yet, but trust me, there is going to be A LOT (and I mean A *LOT*) in the future, so until then... enjoy cute little kid romance. Oh, and Miss Johnson WILL appear later on, so don't totally forget about her!  
  
***  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
When I was three and a half, my life started to change. I mean, one, I was going to *preschool*. And two, well...  
  
One August afternoon, I was at David's house, and my parents were just about here to pick me up. I was giddy with joy.  
  
"I'm going to preschool!" I sang to David. "I'm going to preschool!"  
  
"Me too!" David smiled at me.  
  
*Ding-dong!* The doorbell rang.  
  
"Ooh! I'll get that!" I cried, running to the doorway.  
  
I reached for the doorknob, and then my parents came in. "We've got great news, Lizzie!"  
  
"Oh, did we get a puppy?" I squealed.  
  
"No... honey... we're having a baby!" My mom smiled.  
  
I raised my eyebrows. "No puppy?" I pouted.  
  
My mother shook her head, but then smiled. "You'll have a little brother or sister soon."  
  
I wrinkled up my nose. A brother or sister? Ewww. "But I already have a brother." I insisted, looking at David. "Him."  
  
"Sweetie..." My mom started, but Mr. and Mrs. Gordon entered the room.  
  
"Congratulations on your new baby!" David's dad exclaimed.  
  
I didn't get it. *I* was their baby. Who else was there?  
  
***  
  
"David, I don't get it." I complained. "I'm the only baby they have, right?"  
  
"Maybe they're getting a new one." He suggested, sitting down on his Elmo footstool. "They gonna trade you in for a new baby."  
  
I gasped. "No!" I cried, tears filling my eyes. "I love mommy and daddy. I don't wanna go away!"  
  
David came up to me and hugged me real tight. "It's okay. Wherever you go, I'll come with you."  
  
I looked at him strangely. "Really?"  
  
"Really."  
  
"Really, really?"  
  
"Really, really."  
  
"Really, really, really?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
I smiled at him. "See, you're a way betterer brother than the one mommy's gonna get, Gordo."  
  
He frowned. "What's a Gordo?"  
  
"It's your new name." I put my hands on my hips. "It soundeds betterer than 'David'. David is boring. Gordo sounds good."  
  
"Gordo." He smiled. "That *does* sound good."  
  
"So, Gordie, I thinks we should run away so mommy and daddy don't give me away." I said.  
  
"Okay."  
  
So we ran out the front door, and when we got down to the mailbox we realized that we missed our parents, so we came back and said that running away is no fun. (A/N: Everyone has a time in their life when they try to run away, but change their mind and come back. I think it's real cute, so I used it here. I know it sounds weird, but I used it.)  
  
***  
  
"Hello, kids." Our preschool teacher said with a bright smile on her face. "I'm Miss Johnson."  
  
"Miss Johnson?" I asked. "Who's Johnson, and who misses him?"  
  
Miss Johnson ignored me. "I will be your teacher this year. Right now, let's all sit in a circle and tell each other our names.  
  
The class formed a circle on the dark green carpet, and the teacher pointed to me. "How about you? What's your name?"  
  
"Hi. I'm Da... Gordo." I said, smiling at Lizzie.  
  
"I'm Lizzie." She looked at the girl next to her.  
  
"Hello. I'm Katlyn Saunders." The girl said stiffly. "And I like to shop."  
  
We went around the circle, and then it was playtime. Lizzie pulled me to a corner. "Gordie, I really like preschool, but that Katlyn person is mean." I stuck out my lower lip.  
  
"Why, what did she do?"  
  
I looked at the floor. "She said Lizzie was a stupid name." I started crying. "Is Lizzie a stupid name?"  
  
Gordo hugged me. "No. It's a really pretty name." He whispered in my ear.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Really."  
  
"Really, really?"  
  
"Really, really."  
  
"Really, really, really?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"You like the name Lizzie?"  
  
He nodded. "It's better than Katlyn."  
  
I kissed him on the forehead. "You're really nice, Gordie."  
  
Meanwhile, our teacher, Miss Johnson was smiling to herself. "Lizzie and Gordo look so cute together." She said under her breath. "They'll make a great couple someday."  
  
A/N: I know, it was sort of awkward. But you gotta love me for it. Please review! Oh, and this story will have approximately 20-25 chapters, maybe less. I'm not sure, but it's gonna be longer than most of my stories, since I'm doing a chapter for every year. 


	5. Friends Fourever

Chapter Five: Friends Four-ever  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
We soon moved onto pre-kindergarten, and once again, our teacher was Miss Johnson. It wasn't much different from preschool, except for the fact that we were allowed to go on the monkey bars in pre-kindergarten, and in preschool you had to stick to the swings and slides.  
  
I had a weird feeling about Miss Johnson, as if she was always watching me, but I decided to ignore it. I mean, why would a grown-up spy on me?  
  
Oh, yeah, and Matthew McGuire was born in December. Lizzie was relieved that her parents weren't giving her away, and began to love the new baby in the house. She said having a little brother made her feel like a big girl. Little did she know...  
  
Katlyn Saunders (A/N: No relation to Kate Saunders, okay? That was just a mistake. They meet Kate in kindergarten. This is a different person. Sorry for the confusion.) never really paid attention to Lizzie after that one day. She had her own life.  
  
But as soon as Katlyn stopped bugging Lizzie, another bully came to school. His name was Evan. Evan Kendrick. He really had a bad reputation, even in pre-kindergarten. He was known to be mean and take your cookies away from you and stick ants in your hair during naptime.  
  
And he could *really* freak Lizzie out.  
  
***  
  
"No way!" Lizzie said. "I am *not* turning 5."  
  
"Why?" I said, kicking the mulch under the swings. "I turned five and it was okay."  
  
"NO!" Lizzie exclaimed. "Evan says that if you turn five, you have to go to the big school. And at the big school you have to go to school with really, really old people, like fifth graders! It's called kingerdarten."  
  
"So what if we gotta go to school with fifth graders?" I said. "They're so old that they won't even care about us."  
  
"No, Gordo! See, Evan's brother is a first grader at the big school, and he says that the big kids always punch him, like they do in those movies."  
  
I gasped. "Really?"  
  
She nodded "Evan says that they take your lunch and take out all the good stuff, like the cookies, and gives you back the liverwurst." She shivered.  
  
'Evan does that.' I thought to myself. 'And it's not so bad.'  
  
I shook my head. "Lizzie, Tally's sister is in fifth grade. She's nice. She'll make the big kids stay away from us." I assured. (A/N: Tally is someone they met in preschool.)  
  
Lizzie didn't look so sure. "Maybe."  
  
***  
  
"And they steal your class pet and tell the teacher you did it. And they scribble all over your pretty pictures. And they..." Evan was running out of ways to freak Lizzie out. "...do other stuff."  
  
I stuck my tongue out at him from curb.  
  
It was a hot day in Hillridge on June 18th while Lizzie and I were jumping on her trampoline when Evan Kendrick interrupted us. He was with his older brother, Alex, and they were both on the verge of making poor little Lizzie cry.  
  
Alex put on a scared face. "And when you turn five, you have to learn how to ride a bike without training wheels!"  
  
Lizzie gasped. "But I'd fall!"  
  
I gritted my teeth. This was enough. I was getting mad. One more word out of those two and I'd...  
  
"...and in kindergarten, they make you eat bugs!"  
  
Lizzie yelped.  
  
"Shut up, Evan!" I yelled at both of them.  
  
Lizzie, Evan, and Alex gasped. "You said a bad word!" Evan exclaimed. "I'm telling my mommy!" He ran off, his older brother trailing behind him.  
  
Lizzie looked at me. "Thanks, Gordo." She smiled. "They were really making me scared." She came up to me and hugged me tight.  
  
I hugged back. "So, are you gonna turn five now?"  
  
Her face looked thoughtful. "Only if you eat my bugs for me." She said. "Ewwww."  
  
I wasn't exactly thrilled about eating bugs, but smiled. "Okay." 


	6. Miranda

Chapter Six: Miranda  
  
A/N: BEWARE: REALLY LONG  
  
Man, sixth grade is HARD. I'm an straight A student, and I'm on the honor roll each year, but I don't think that's gonna happen this year. It was a half day, and the only thing we did was talk and do a spelling test. And the words on that test were harder than usual. Mostly, I don't have to put any effort into spelling (it's one of my easiest subjects) but now... things are different. And we already have two things of homework. On the first day! And there are soooooo many rules! And all the other girls talk about is cheerleading, cheerleading, and more cheerleading. No offense to the cheerleaders out there, but I HATE cheerleading! I'd rather be playing the sport than jumping up and down distracting the others. And to top it all off, my friends are all in different classes than I am! It sucks. But I'll get through it... somehow.  
  
But you know what I need to do that... MORE REVIEWS! ^_^  
  
Hey, and I'd like to give a shoutout to my friends (and enemies).  
  
Friends: Corky, Meg, Angie, Stace, Yiran, Judie, you all rock! I feel sorry for Meg, she's moving right next door to Ryan Woods and her bedroom window faces his! Oh, and Judie, good luck on being a new cheerleader this year! Corky, I hope Mark notices you, and you stop having that stupid crush on him, you know about our rivalry. Angie, you are such a birthday stealer! :) Yiran (she moved and now lives far away), I hope you have the best time in 'middle school', and I hope you survive having ten classes. And Stace, get over your 'I'm the cheerleading captain' attitude, cuz It's bugging everyone!  
  
Enemies: Andrea, I hope you get a life and stop sucking up to the teachers (and me), and I still can't believe that you got on that TV commercial and I didn't, and that everyone's right that you're totally lesbian. Rachel, thanks for not noticing me on the bus and making fun of my outfit (well, you were too busy talking to Morgan and Emily and all of your popular friends). Mark, I just wanna tell you that you have a serious mental problem, the way you acted during class today, and I don't understand why all the girls have a crush on you! Dina, I wanted to tell you to not deliberately read my diary and stop lying because I could just cuss you out right now...  
  
Oh, and last but not least, Kenzie, I wanted to say that Corky and Judie are totally P.Oed at you for ditching them for the popular crowd, and lying to them, and I still never really liked you, I wish that we could be friends again, but like that'll ever happen, and tell Allynn that she has gotta stop trying to be popular, cuz she's not, and she won't ever be.  
  
Erin and Emily K... I hope I get to know you two better as the school year goes on, but Emily, I think you're gonna end up being part of ANA's lesbian group, cuz Andrea is totally sucking up to you cuz you're new. And Erin, I wish that your weren't popular so you could actually *talk* to me once in a while. We got along really well at that one party.  
  
Okay, I'm done.  
  
Thanks for listening to that super-long author's note (probably longer than the chapter will be), and we are now moving on...  
  
***  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
I looked around the room. "This isn't that bad." I said, staring at the rainbow decorations outside of Ms. Stokes's room. "It's pretty."  
  
Gordo and I stepped inside the room, and picked seats next to each other. We were one of the first ones there, so the teacher told us to color quietly until the other students arrived.  
  
I took a blank sheet of paper out from my brand new Barbie bookbag, and started scribbling. I glanced over at Gordo to see what he was doing, and was surprised. He was practicing his alphabet. I recognized the letters a- h, but after that, I was baffled.  
  
"Whoa! Gordie, where'd you learn all those letters?" I exclaimed.  
  
He looked sort of offended. "Mommy told me them."  
  
"Oh."  
  
By this time, everyone was in the room, sitting in their desks quietly, waiting for Ms. Stokes to begin the day with introductions or whatever. All except for one little girl.  
  
No, not me.  
  
She pranced all around the room, and studied the class with big, round eyes. She was Hispanic, and had this pretty long shiny black hair that I was dying to have. The whole class stared at her, including the teacher, wondering what she was doing. After she looked at the class long enough, her eyes landed on me and Gordo, and she skipped toward us.  
  
"Hi." She said. "I'm Miranda. Can we be friends?"  
  
I was taken aback by her question. She didn't even know us! How was I supposed to answer that question when all I knew about her was that her name was Miranda? But she looked very friendly, so I smiled.  
  
"Sure!" I exclaimed.  
  
Gordo didn't look as sure as me. He eyed her closely, as if trying to figure out her personality, when the teacher spoke up.  
  
"Miranda, please sit down." Ms. Stokes said patiently. "You can sit anywhere you want."  
  
Her eyes widened. "Really? ANYWHERE?" She exclaimed, plopping herself down in next to Gordo. "Okay, I'm ready." She said, grinning brightly.  
  
Gordo and I exchanged glances. This was one interesting character.  
  
***  
  
"Um... and I have a cousin named Carlos and a Mommy and a Daddy." Miranda Sanchez said right before she slid down the yellow twisty slide.  
  
I followed her down. "Well, I have a brother called Matt, but i think he should be called Rug. And Gordo is my bestest friend in the whole world."  
  
Gordo, who was waiting at the end of the slide for both of us, grinned. "Yeah, and Lizzie's *my* bestest friend in the whole world."  
  
Miranda looked at the mulch on the playground. "I don't have any friends." She said quietly. "I just moved from Saca-waka something." (A/N: In other words, she moved from Sacramento.)  
  
I hugged her. "We can be your friends!" She exclaimed.  
  
Her eyes lit up. "Really!?"  
  
Gordo's eyebrows knitted together, and there was a crease in his forehead, as if he was thinking hard about something. "I don't know... I don't think you can have *two* bestest friends."  
  
I crossed my arms. "Yes, you can!" I insisted.  
  
Miranda nodded. "I think so, too."  
  
Gordo sighed. "Yeah. Okay, so we're bestest friends now?"  
  
"Yup." I giggled.  
  
Miranda smiled. "We are going to be friends for ever and ever and ever."  
  
We started walking toward the swings, where most of the younger kids hug out, and someone blocked our path.  
  
"Hi." Another shy girl grinned at the three of us. "I'm Kate Saunders. I wanna be your bestest friend, too."  
  
A/N: Well, what do you know? The author's note *was* longer than the actual chapter! Well, ciaoness and I hope you guys liked this chapter. :) And look out for the next chapter soon, Resisting Cooties. 


	7. Resisting Cooties

Chapter Seven: Resisting Cooties  
  
A/N: In this chapter you kind of find out that Kate is already evil, but the three don't know it. She wants to break up Lizzie and Gordo's friendship so she can have Lizzie all to herself. Oh, yeah, and now you know how Kate got held back in kindergarten. They meet her in kindergarten, not knowing that this was her second time around. Now they are in first grade.  
  
Hey, I just found something I'm good at! I have really great ideas for music videos on the Metamorphosis CD. If anyone wants to hear my ideas, just e-mail me at s_mittal12@yahoo.com with one of these songs (I haven't thought of more yet.)  
  
1. So Yesterday  
  
2. Come Clean (This one's cool!)  
  
3. Where Did I Go Right?  
  
4. Anywhere But Here (This one's in the works, still getting ideas)  
  
5. Love Just Is  
  
6. Metamorphosis  
  
7. Working It Out  
  
***  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
I was completely and totally jealous when Kate and Miranda joined our crowd. I liked it the way it was before; Lizzie and me, friends forever. But now Lizzie had stopped paying attention to me, and started playing with her other girl friends more. It really hurt... but our friendship survived. Even through first grade's most horrible subject... cooties.  
  
***  
  
"Ewww... girls are icky." My new so-called 'friend', Danny Kessler made a face. "How can you be friends with one?"  
  
I frowned. "Lizzie's not icky!"  
  
"You know... my sister, Kelly, told me that first-grade girls have this thing called cooties. It's really bad, and if it's bad enough, you have to go to the doctor and get a shot!"  
  
I gasped. "Really? What do they do?"  
  
"I don't know... but it's scary. Kelly says they want to kiss you and say 'I love you' and stuff." He made a face.  
  
I shuddered, and then regained my confidence and crossed my arms in front of my chest. "Lizzie does not have cooties. I know it. She my best friend in the world, and I know that she wouldn't ever do that."  
  
Danny frowned. "I think all of the girls have them, even Lizzie."  
  
"No!" I yelled, and stormed off.  
  
***  
  
Lizzie POV  
  
"Really!" Miranda insisted. "Kate told me!"  
  
"No!" I exclaimed. "Gordo doesn't have cooties."  
  
She crossed her arms. "All boys have cooties."  
  
I pushed her, and she fell into the mulch. "Not Gordo!"  
  
Miranda scoffed. "Think what you want to. Just don't come running to me when Gordo says her wants to kiss you."  
  
"EWWWWW!" I exclaimed, running toward the swings.  
  
I sat down on the swings and started to cry. In front of everyone. I was humiliated, but I had just lost a friend, and nobody could dare insult *my* Gordo!  
  
Kate came running to me. "Lizzie!" She exclaimed. "Why are you crying?"  
  
Now, a smart Lizzie would have told her to leave me alone, but remember, I was only, what, six or something. "Miranda says Gordo has cooties."  
  
She sighed. "He proabably does. He told me to tell you something."  
  
"What?" I perked up.  
  
"He wanted to tell you that he loves you and wants to marry you."  
  
"WHAT!" I started to bawl even harder.  
  
"It's okay. You don't need friends like him."  
  
'She right,' I thought. 'What's the point of a friend if he has cooties?'  
  
***  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
I couldn't believe it. Kate had come up to me and told me that Lizzie wanted to kiss me! It was so incredibly gross! I thought she was my friend!  
  
A tear trickled down my cheek. She was like my sister. How dare she do that to me! I'd known her forever. Why was she destroying our friendship? There was only one way to solve this problem.  
  
I got up, and started walking to the swings, where Lizzie was swinging alone.  
  
I was going to talk to her.  
  
"Hey, Lizzie." I said, sitting down next to her.  
  
She said nothing. She just wiped the tears off her face and sniffled.  
  
"Lizzie, can I ask you something?"  
  
She was silent.  
  
"Why do you want to kiss me?"  
  
She looked at the ground sadly, and then did a double-take and looked me right in the eye. "What? I never said that! *You're* the one that said you wanted to marry me."  
  
Huh? That was confusing. What on earth was she talking about?  
  
"Who told you that!?" I exclaimed. "I thought..."  
  
She giggled. "So you don't want to marry me?"  
  
I shook my head disgustedly. "Never in a bajillion years."  
  
"Me neither." She came up to me and hugged me tight. "I'm glad you don't had cooties, Gordo."  
  
I smiled at her. "Me too." 


	8. Love Letters

Chapter Eight: Love Letters  
  
A/N: Well, uh, thank you for the *few* reviews, and I know that not much of you are interested in this story, but I'm having the best time writing it, so it's gonna stay, even if you all don't wanna read it. Here is chapter eight... Love Letters. Ooh, what do you think *that* means? ;)  
  
Oh, my god, is it just me, or is it that every time I hear Jessica Simpson's 'Sweetest Sin', I think of L/G? Maybe it's just because it's one of my favorite songs, but... does anyone else feel a little electric shock every time you hear it?  
  
***  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
Second grade was *the* year. The year that kids find out that the opposite sex isn't toxic. They start having crushes, and start talking to the other gender. But Lizzie and I had always been a step ahead of the crowd.  
  
It was very awkward, though. Everyone thought that if you spoke to the other gender, you were hopelessly in love with them. Soon, every time anyone saw you, they'd be like "Oooh, you like *her*." So when Lizzie and I always hung out... you know what they assumed.  
  
***  
  
"Shhhhh!" Lizzie exclaimed, creeping behind a bush. "We can't wake up the wicked witch!"  
  
I clutched onto a branch. "Okay."  
  
We slowly tiptoed toward the slide, and then Miranda came rushing out of nowhere and jumped on us. Kate joined her. They started tickling us, and we burst into a fit of giggles. Soon, we were all rolling around on the grass, screaming.  
  
"Oh no! The wicked witches got me!" I wailed, and started tickling Lizzie.  
  
"Stop, Gordo!" She exclaimed, swatting my arm with her hand. "That tickles!"  
  
Miranda sat on top of Lizzie, and joined in on tickling her. Soon she was yelping for help. Kate sat down on Miranda, who was still on Lizzie, and they tumbled to the ground. Somehow Lizzie struggled from underneath the pile, and plopped down on my stomach and started tickling me.  
  
"Lizzie! You broke one of my ribs!" I exclaimed, pushing her off.  
  
She was about to do something, I could tell, but then the bell rang and our teacher held up her hand, so we all went to line up.  
  
***  
  
Dear, Lizzie  
  
Meet me at the park after shcool. Its importent.  
  
Love, Gordo  
  
I folded the piece of paper up and wrote -Lizzie- on it, and passed it to Kate. She passed it to Danny, who passed it to Miranda, who passed it to Larry (who had recently gotten attached to this new shirt his mother had gotten him for Christmas.) who passed it to Lizzie.  
  
I had to tell her that I was moving to a house half a block away from hers, which was exciting since we lived very far away at the moment. If I was a little bit older and a little bit wiser, I would've known to just tell her that in the note, but I wanted to make it exciting.  
  
She unfolded it as the teacher was writing something on the board. When she read it, she looked over at me and smiled.  
  
"Okay, class, time for Art!" Our teacher chirped. We all lined up again, not noticing that someone had taken the note off of Lizzie's desk.  
  
***  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
The next day while we were walking to school I was floating on air since Gordo was moving closer to us... until Danny Kessler blocked Gordo and my path and started making kissy faces.  
  
"You guys are so *cuuute*!" he exclaimed.  
  
I raised an eyebrow. "He's weird." I commented.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
He wasn't the only one. As soon as we got into our classroom, someone had something to say to us.  
  
"I bet you told her you love her, right?" Lisa Monroe asked Gordo as he sat down. He looked at her strangely.  
  
"What?"  
  
I whispered in his ear that everyone was acting weird today before I sat down in my assigned seat.  
  
"Ewwww!" Ryan Morsette looked at both of us disgustedly.  
  
"Are you gonna marry him?" asked Jeremy Evans.  
  
A few girls giggled like crazy while they crossed our desks.  
  
"Ewww!" repeated Ryan.  
  
I looked at Gordo weirdly. "Okay, what is going on?" I asked.  
  
"I saw you tickling each other yesterday!" Someone exclaimed in my ear. "You were sitting on him!"  
  
I raised an eyebrow.  
  
***  
  
"And in the note it said 'love, Gordo.' Kate explained. "So Danny saw the note, and told everyone who told everyone else. And that's why everyone thinks you're in love."  
  
"Ewwww!" I spat out.  
  
Gordo remained silent. "That's not what I meant." He said quietly, looking at the tops of his shoes. I saw a tear trickle down his cheek.  
  
I put my arm around him, and said to Kate, "I think we need to talk privately." I looked at her somberly, and she shrugged and went away.  
  
Gordo and I sat down on a bench and I looked at him closely, hoping he'd quiet down, but the tears kept coming. "Gordo..." I whispered. "It's okay. It doesn't matter what they think."  
  
He dried his tears. "Sorry. I didn't mean that, Lizzie. I don't love you."  
  
I don't know why, but my heart sunk at the thought. "You don't?" I whispered.  
  
He shook his head. "Lizzie, you're my best friend. I can't love you."  
  
I nodded, making sure that it didn't show that I was upset.  
  
But little did we both know, that he could love me, even if I *was* only his best friend at the moment.  
  
A/N: Is it just me, or was this chapter almost the same thing as the last? Whoops, sorry. 


	9. Mature

Chapter Nine: Mature  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
Third grade was a pivotal year in my life. (Weren't they all?) It was a year when I was forced to leave all of my cherished childhood memories behind, and move on, and become more mature.  
  
Or at least that's what I thought.  
  
Kate was changing. She was more perkier, and grew into one of those girly- girl attitudes. Gordo changed a lot this year, too. He became more serious about his grades, and was budding into a young director. Miranda stayed the same. And so did I.  
  
Well, sort of.  
  
***  
  
"You carry the nine!" exclaimed Gordo. "Then you multiply the two numbers and add the nine, which makes 21. Your answer would be..."  
  
I bit my lip. "Um... twenty-one?"  
  
He sighed at me impatiently, but with a smile on his face. "Lizzie, then you add 153 and 2,150, and *that* gives you your answer."  
  
"Oh!" I exclaimed. "I get it now!"  
  
I looked down at my math sheet. To me, it looked just like a big jumble of numbers that needed to be sorted out. "No, I don't." I sighed.  
  
He smiled at me. "Multiplication isn't *that* hard." He patted my back.  
  
I rolled my eyes. "I'm having a hard enough time remembering my three times tables. Can we please leave two digit multiplication for next year?"  
  
Gordo and I were at my house, and he was teaching me something he had just learned from his parents; two-digit multiplication. It seemed as if Gordo was in front of the crowd all the time, knowing how to do what before we even got to the part in the book that explained about it. And he had taken the liberty of trying to teach me it, but I was too busy trying to get the *normal* facts down.  
  
It hurt, seeing everyone becoming so smart, so mature, especially Gordo, the guy who was supposed to be going at the same pace I was, but instead learning about things that I would never dare to think about.  
  
"Gordo... how come you're so smart!?" I put my hands on my hips. "It makes me feel dumb!"  
  
He frowned. "Sorry... say, how about we watch a movie?"  
  
"No!" I exclaimed. "You'll start yelling about the special effects and everything and it'll make me feel even more stupid!" I stormed out of the house.  
  
***  
  
I looked all around the store. "I want that." I pointed to a pair of jeans that had graffiti print all over them and were ripped at the knees.  
  
My mother raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure?" She asked, looking hesitant.  
  
"Yes!" I pulled the jeans off the rack and put them over my own. "They look really cool."  
  
"Cool?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
She sighed. "Okay, then. Cool jeans for Lizzie McGuire."  
  
I smiled brightly as she bought them. I insisted on wearing them right that minute, but my mom told me to wait. Next, we went to the shoe store. I picked out these huge basketball shoes and looked so... punkish compared to my pink and white Sketchers. I tried tying the laces, but they wouldn't stay together, which I figured was even *more* cooler.  
  
Then finally, we went to JCPenny to get me a new shirt. I picked out one blue top that was fairly tight, but remembered that tight clothes were so immature, so I said forget it. I planned on wearing one of my baggy basketball shirts to school.  
  
That night, I laid out my outfit on my bed and sighed in happiness. I had the best outfit EVER, and I was going to show the world that even Lizzie could be mature.  
  
***  
  
"Lizzie, what did you do to yourself!?" Gordo looked at me like I had suddenly sprouted hors and a tail. "You look like... like... I don't know... but you don't look like *you*."  
  
"I became mature." I crossed my arms and walked inside the classroom, slouching. It was cool, right? "You should try it sometime."  
  
I was *so* smooth.  
  
He raised his eyebrows at me, and the whole class hushed as soon as I passed them. Then a murmur went through the crowd, with kids whispering and giggling and so forth. I pretended like it didn't bother me and sat down.  
  
I was cool. I had a cool outfit, my hair was put into a messy ponytail, and I never smiled. It was the thug type thing, and I thought I was the greatest thing since ice cream as I flashed my award-winning pants to the class.  
  
The teacher came in and gasped. "Lizzie, I'm sorry, there are no hats allowed in the classroom." She commented, hinting that I would take it off.  
  
Now, if I were the OLD Lizzie, I would have taken it off right away. But now this Lizzie. I just crossed my arms on my desk as if I didn't hear her. She told me, what, five six times and all I did was sit there and whistle. I could tell that the class was awestruck by my braveness.  
  
"That is it, young lady, you are going to the principal's office."  
  
THE *WHAT*!?  
  
I wiped away a little bead of sweat that was creeping out of my forehead, and tried not to gasp. I had *never* been to the principal's office before. But I was cool. I tried to keep it that way with a 'what's he gonna do to me' look on my face.  
  
But as soon as the teacher dropped me off at the office, I couldn't resist. A little tear ran down my face.  
  
Maybe being mature was harder than I had thought.  
  
***  
  
"...and then he said, 'well, next time, please don't bring a hat to school' and stuff, so I said 'ok' and he let me go." I said, my lip trembling, as I played with the ripped hole in my jeans.  
  
"Lizzie, it's okay..." Gordo put his arms around me. That was it. That was all I needed. I broke down, and started to cry.  
  
"No..." I whined, burying my head in his shoulder. "It's not. You guys are so mature, and I feel so dumb, and I can't fit in, even if I try..."  
  
Gordo leaned over and stroked my hair and started whispering in my ear. "Lizzie, you don't have to change for anyone. I happen to think you're very smart and mature for your age. And, look, no one cares about maturity, okay? If they do, then they aren't your real friends."  
  
I snuggled into his chest, and he calmed me down. "Thanks, Gordo." I said softly, breaking away from our hug. "That really means a lot to know that you don't care if I'm mature or not."  
  
"Mature? No one's mature yet. Parents are mature. And we've got a long way until then." He grinned. "Now, go change into your real clothes. Your *Lizzie* clothes."  
  
I smiled. 


	10. Crush On WHO?

Chapter Ten: Crush on WHO?  
  
A/N: Man, I do not CARE what color Adam Lamberg's eyes are. In some episodes, they are this bright blue, and then sometimes they're brown. He looks hot in both, I'll tell you that, but I'll just say that he has a kind of mixed thing in here, okay? I think he wears contacts or else his eyes are hazel and the light shining on them changes that color.  
  
Someone tell me if I should change the rating to PG-13. I don't know. Because there's a lot of things coming up in later chapters, like a attempt at murder, and a lot of L/Gness. It feels weird, though, because, well, I'm NOT thirteen, so therefore it seems wrong to rate it that. If I can write it, you can read it. But I'm the youngest person on ff.net, right? Or are there nine-year-olds that I don't know of...? I don't want ya'll to be offended or anything because the rating isn't high enough (like in That's My Gordo). Tell me. I think it will be raised, though... I hope I don't lose audience.  
  
I stretched this chapter out longer for a reason... you all wanted it! The year Lizzie has a crush on Gordo. The first *real* L/G chappie. LOL. Here it goes!  
  
***  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
Fourth grade. Ah, I remember it well, mostly because it was the year that everyone started having crushes. Serious ones. Fourth grade was the year that, according to me, decided if you were going to be a geek for the rest of your life.  
  
Who did I have a crush on? The most oddest of people. Our teacher (Mr. Chancler), Ethan, and most important of all...  
  
Gordo.  
  
***  
  
"I do NOT like anyone!" I exclaimed exhaustedly. "There's no one decent in this school!"  
  
Miranda raised her eyebrows. "Yup, sure, Lizzie. Say what you will."  
  
Gordo shook his head. "Could we please talk about something fun for a change please?" He begged. "You're talking about girl stuff, and as you can see, I am not a girl."  
  
Kate scoffed. "Really? Because we thought you were."  
  
We cracked up at that.  
  
"Hey, Gordo, who do *you* like?" Miranda asked, twirling her hair with her finger.  
  
He groaned. "It is necessary for me to like someone just because we're in fourth grade?"  
  
Yup, it was like a fourth grade code. If you didn't like someone, you obviously weren't human. So that meant Gordo and I weren't human. But I had looked VERY carefully at every guy our age, and they all seemed so... immature.  
  
"No... just wondering." Kate looked deep in thought. "Oh, look! There's Jacob!" She started running to him.  
  
Miranda looked at Gordo and I weirdly. "Why don't you like anyone?"  
  
"Because there is no one worth liking!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Because we are too young to like anyone!" He said, overlapping my sentence.  
  
She raised her left eyebrow and went into a classroom. That left me and Gordo, staring at each other. I noticed this little... tint, or something of that sort, in his eyes that made them kind of glow. They were a mixture of green, brown, and blue, but not yet hazel. They had little speckles of each color, and it seemed like you were staring into an ocean of colors. A great feeling of admiration flooded over me as I studied his eyes.  
  
"Lizzie...?" He asked.  
  
I was still lost in his eyes, and trying to find my way out. "Yeah...?" I wondered dreamily. The way I said it was more of a 'yeah' like an answer to a question, not a question itself. Like he had asked me to marry him or something.  
  
"Um... we have to hurry or else Mr. Chancler is going to have a fit."  
  
I snapped out my trance. "Oh-oh, yeah... duh!" I slapped my forehead and headed to class, but couldn't forget about those raging eyes of his.  
  
***  
  
"You can't tell anyone!" I exclaimed exasperatedly. "Not even Kate!"  
  
"Not even Gordo?"  
  
"EsPECIALLY not Gordo."  
  
We were on the phone the next day after school, and I had told Miranda that I was going to tell her a big huge secret... but I couldn't get it out of my mouth.  
  
"Okay... you know... when you... you know, asked if we liked... anyone?" I asked, sitting down on my bed.  
  
"Yeah... what about it?"  
  
"Well..." I lowered my voice. "I think I like someone."  
  
I could just *see* Miranda's eyes bulging. "No WAY!"  
  
I nodded, but then remembered that she couldn't see me. "Yeah."  
  
"WHO?"  
  
"You pinkie swear not to tell anyone?" I asked, lower lip trembling nervously.  
  
"Pinkie swear, kiss my thumb, cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye... I swear on my..." She paused for a few seconds to search for a dead ancestor. "... great-great grandfather's grave. I swear I won't tell a single breathing soul. I might tell my dead catfish, though...because it's not breathing.... but go on. WHO?"  
  
"Go dough." I mumbled.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said, Gordo."  
  
"WHAT!?"  
  
"I said-"  
  
"Never mind that, but you like GORDO!? As in our best friend, Gordo?" She was gasping and breathing hard now.  
  
"Do you know any others?"  
  
She shrieked. "EWWWWW!!"  
  
I didn't get what was so sickening. Gordo was cool, and he *had* been my best friend since, well, forever... so why shouldn't I like him? I could jus imagine us, twenty years from now, getting married in a small little church, saying our "I do's". I sighed in happiness at that thought.  
  
"What are you, whack?" She yelled into the receiver. "That's insane!"  
  
"Gordo's great!" I insisted. "And he has nice eyes!"  
  
Miranda made a noise that could only but identified as a muffled snort. "Oh, my gosh, you love him!"  
  
"No!" I exclaimed. "Or at least... not yet."  
  
She squealed.  
  
"Miranda, shut up!"  
  
She kept on squealing.  
  
"I said shut up!"  
  
Just more squealing.  
  
I hung up, furious.  
  
***  
  
"What?" Gordo asked the next day.  
  
Miranda took one look at him, and one look at me, and cracked up. When she finally caught her breath, she smiled. "Sorry, it's just so funny!"  
  
I gave her a cold, hard stare, implying that I didn't want her to give anything away.  
  
But Miranda ignored me. "Hey, Gordo, have you ever thought about marriage?"  
  
I had to keep from gasping and pushing Miranda into the nearest wall.  
  
He raised his eyebrows. "No, not really. What does it mean to you?"  
  
"Did you ever think that you'd end up marrying Lizzie?"  
  
That was it. I elbowed her in the ribcage as hard as possible.  
  
"Ow!" She cried.  
  
Gordo looked baffled. "I might... only God knows."  
  
I sighed dreamily. What a wonderful thing to say.  
  
AND HE SAID HE MIGHT AND UP MARRYING ME!  
  
"So, who do you like?"  
  
"We've been over this..."  
  
"WHO?" Miranda demanded, sticking a finger in his face.  
  
"Well, um, that new girl, Nicole, she's pretty... and cool..."  
  
Miranda gasped. "Nicole?"  
  
He shrugged. "I guess."  
  
My jaw dropped open. "You like Nicole?"  
  
'And not me?' I added silently.  
  
He nodded, and Kate started asking him a million questions, but it was as if my whole world had frozen. He liked Nicole. Nicole wasn't me. Gordo couldn't like anyone that wasn't me. He couldn't like Nicole. He had to like me. Or I would die.  
  
I stood there stiffly, trying not to cry.  
  
***  
  
I bawled my eyes out that day when I got back from school, which made me realize how much I really liked him. I thought it was just a silly little crush, but it wasn't. It was more. I had a feeling that we were destined to be together. Like, if I imagined hard enough, I could think of us seventy years from now, sitting in rockers, remembering the 'good old days', and telling our grandchildren about our perpetual love.  
  
I sniffed and shook my head. I was too young for this. Way too young. If he liked me, so? We were too young to go out, or anything like that. So what was the use?  
  
Maybe this love stuff with Gordo could wait a few years... like eighth grade.  
  
A/N: Not as good as you expected, right? Same here. It's a bad case of stupid writer's block. I think I need to go read a dictionary and learn some words. LOL. Well, maybe during fall break (a month ot so from now) will give me good ideas. R/R please. 


	11. No Ordinary Project

Chapter Eleven: No Ordinary Project  
  
A/N: One hundred reviews!? Already?? This must be a hit. It's not even half over yet! Planned everything out, and there are approximately 24 chapters. Haha, you guys seem *very* fond of Nicole. LOL... you haven't seen the end of her! I'm glad everyone likes this, because I don't think it's that good. Here's a goal for this story: 200 reviews. And not all of the same people. Yup.  
  
I know that Gordo doesn't know about Lizzie's crush in "The Untitled Stan Jansen Project", but pretend as if he were acting. He could have been, right...?  
  
Stacey's mom has got it going on... Stacey's mom has got it going on... Stacey do you remember when I mowed your lawn...? Your mom came out with just a towel on... LOL I love that song!!! It's one of my favorites. :)  
  
LONG CHAPPIE, REVIEWS APPRECIATED! This is about fifth grade. I think you guys will enjoy this. Two more chapters until it gets L/G! You can't contain your enthusiasm, eh? ^_^  
  
***  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
Fifth grade was a good year for me. I got really good grades, my teacher was nice, and I hadn't gotten into a fight with Lizzie, Kate, or Miranda all year. It seemed great until this terrifying project.  
  
Out teacher, Mrs. Wonder, was just about the wackiest teacher on the face of the earth, and she was cool... but the project... THE project, was something kids who were in college still remembered. They remembered the pain and sheer torture they had to go through. Let me tell you, a week is *much* longer than it seems.  
  
I didn't believe the stupid rumors about the project, and thought it would be no problem. Just breeze through it. Easy as American Pie.  
  
But it wasn't.  
  
I learned a lot... especially about my best friend.  
  
***  
  
"I'm sorry, Lizzie, Gordo... there's an odd number of boys and girls. I hoped that because you are such great friends, it wouldn't be much of a problem." Mrs. Wonder looked at both of us sympathetically.  
  
"Oh, it's no problem!" I exclaimed, hoping I sounded convincing.  
  
Lizzie looked at me with a 'what-are-you-doing-it-is-not-no-problem' face. "Yeah, just swell." She muttered under her breath.  
  
"Oh, good." Mrs. Wonder let out a sigh of relief, and walked away.  
  
Lizzie turned to me with her mouth open. "Are you insane? You know what you just did? I have to be *you* for a whole entire week!"  
  
"Sorry." I looked at the ground. "It's not like I'm looking forward to spending a week being you, either."  
  
Yeah, that was Mrs. Wonder's terrifying project. You had to spend a whole week as someone else. It didn't seem to bad... at first. Until you heard the rules. You have to sleep in their bed, eat their favorite cereal, watch their favorite TV shows, hang out with their friends, chew the ends of their pencils if they do that, and you couldn't change a single one of their habits or else you'd get a bad grade. It was her way of studying habitats.  
  
She scoffed. "Have fun."  
  
***  
  
I woke up the next morning, drowsy as ever. "Ugh..." I moaned, and reached under the pillow to get my watch out from underneath it. But it wasn't there. My hand hit something hard and square instead.  
  
I looked around and was confused for a moment, then remembered. I was in Lizzie's house, in Lizzie's room, in Lizzie's bed, feeling under Lizzie's pillow, and feeling Lizzie's...  
  
I pulled the rectangle-shaped object from under the pillow. It was a book, with little hearts and little swirly designs on the front like most fifth grade girls' notebooks were like. I opened it, despite the pangs of guilt I was feeling.  
  
LIZZIE'S DIARY  
  
It was written in big bold letters on the first page. I smiled. So this was Lizzie's diary. I had been waiting for this to show up. I turned the page and read to myself what she had written, not even noticing, let alone *caring* about school.  
  
*October 15th, 1997  
  
Crushes, crushes. So sick of hearing about them. I don't have a crush. Gordo doesn't have a crush. We are the only ones. Miranda has that Shawn Miller guy, and Kate has Daniel what-his-last-name. Is it a crime that I don't know anybody worth crushing on?  
  
We're too young to be thinking about that stuff anyway. What's the point of crushing if you can't date and stuff? And I don't get the point of dating, anyway. I mean, maybe when we're old enough to marry and junk, but now... we're too young. I guess Gordo and I are the only mature ones around here.  
  
But enough boring stuff. You wouldn't believe how weird mom and dad are acting today. I mean, I come home from school, and they are chatting away, and as soon as I get through the door, they shut up and change the subject. They were saying something about 'taxes' and 'six million dollars'...doesn't sound strange to me. Grown-ups always talk about the stock market and taxes. Snooze city. But it was so weird how they said it, like...  
  
"six million dollars...but that's outrageous! How on earth could we owe...." then I come in. "Oh, and Amanda said she would LOVE to have us over for dinner."  
  
I don't know, but I think something fishy is going on around here, and it's not just that everyone is obsessed with finding a crush.*  
  
"GORDO!" I heard Mrs. McGuire's voice echo through the halls. "Are you ready for school?"  
  
I gasped and snapped shut the diary. I was so absorbed in it that I had totally forgotten about school! I slid it underneath the pillow again, and started getting ready. I couldn't wait to get home from school and start reading again.  
  
I guess there was one perk to this project.  
  
***  
  
School was very odd, seeing everyone as everyone else. We had to call them by the person that they were representing's name, and I got sick of people making fun of me by calling me Lizzie. But I didn't care. Lizzie's diary was still waiting at 'home', under the pillow.  
  
I cracked it open to the page I had stopped at before. I had been reading about the previous year, fourth grade. I knew I should've been feeling guilty, but I wasn't. I felt because I was playing Lizzie's role, I could read her diary. And anyway, curiosity would've overpowered guilt any day.  
  
November 2nd, 1997  
  
LM loves DG  
  
Mrs. Elizabeth Gordon  
  
Lizzie & Gordo 4ever  
  
My jaw dropped open and I flushed about eight shades of beet red. Me? Lizzie and me? She had written this with some other intention, for sure. But who else has the initials DG and has Gordon for a last name, and GORDO for a first name. That sure wasn't common.  
  
It couldn't be...  
  
Lizzie had a crush on me.  
  
I couldn't stand it anymore. I looked at the next page, itching for details and an explanation. Lizzie was my best friend. Nothing more. She couldn't be! I liked Nicole... so therefore, Lizzie couldn't like me! Friends weren't supposed to like friends!  
  
But there was the evidence, encircled in large hearts. Mrs. Elizabeth Gordon?? Did she think I was going to marry her or something? Were these hormones going crazy? We were just fifth graders... no, wait, in this case, fourth graders!  
  
*Yay! I have my first crush. I don't know how it happened. Just... today I noticed how... amazing Gordo's eyes were. They absorbed me... and I couldn't help but think what it would feel like to hold his hand, walk side by side and drown in his eyes. It seems so... right.  
  
I know he's my best friend and all... but that's the great thing about it! He knows and understands me. He's cute, nice, funny... what more could a girl need? He takes my breath away. It's been only one day, but it feels like I've ached for him for all eternity.  
  
Wow. Look at that. Now I know where Shakespeare got his wacko words and stuff. Love does stuff to people. It's poetic. Ached for all eternity? I would have never thought of saying that any day before. But the words fit so well...  
  
Hey, now I get it! That one thing: A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. I get it now! It means that even if Gordo's name was... I don't know.... Jeffery or Donald or something, he would still be my sweet little Gordo.  
  
He is *so* dreamy.  
  
And even if we don't get together until eleventh grade, that's fine, because the very thought of being his girlfriend sends shivers up my spine and makes me tingle in excitement. I can just imagine us... seven years from now, him driving me around town in his little car, I clutching his shoulder and running my hand through his amazing chocolate hair... wow, I can't wait!*  
  
This time I dropped the diary flat on the ground. Lizzie was insane! Running her fingers through my hair! Where did she come up with this stuff!? I couldn't believe my best friend had written this! It was uncalled for!  
  
I took the diary and placed it where it belonged, still trying to get over the shock.  
  
Maybe I had taken this project a little *too* far. 


	12. The Dating Game

Chapter Twelve: The Dating Game  
  
A/N: Yes! I can totally write this chapter! I'm in sixth grade! It's so much better than how I described it before. From now on, it's so much L/G you'll freak! Well, not literally, but they *will* start to feel strongly toward each other. I'm changing the rating. Not yet, but eventually...  
  
Thank you, thank you, thank you! So many reviews! I feel so touched! :*) Well, it's half over. Yeah, this is the twelfth chappie, and there are gonna be 24, so...  
  
The reason I didn't update for a while was because I was working on making After Rome perfect... and having a social life. LOL.  
  
I feel so sad! Only six people read Love Lifts Us Up! Boo!!!  
  
Well here goes chapter 12...  
  
***  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
Gordo acted pretty weird around me for the next few weeks, and I never found out why until college or something. He kept staring at me, and avoiding me... it was odd, but I didn't notice it.  
  
Sixth grade was a rapid change for me. Everyone started gossiping and dating, and we had to switch classes and everything, I felt kind of out of place for a while. Sixth grade was also the year Kate started drifting away little by little. It was just too to handle much sometimes.  
  
And the fact that everyone was urging me to be more than friends with Gordo didn't help one bit.  
  
***  
  
"Caroline is going out with WHO?" Miranda exclaimed.  
  
"Jason." I said, fiddling with a strand of my hair.  
  
"Whoa... that's weird."  
  
"Yeah, I know."  
  
Miranda looked at her watch, and then gasped. "Oh great! I was supposed to meet my baby at the cafeteria two minutes ago! See you later!"  
  
I rolled my eyes as she dashed of. 'My Baby' is what she called her boyfriend, Leo. It sounded so stupid, but I didn't dare tell her that. Miranda was very offensive when it came to Leo.  
  
"So, Lizzie... who's your boyfriend again? I keep forgetting." Kate said, looking me in the eye just as Miranda whipped out of sight.  
  
"Um... maybe that's because I don't have one."  
  
"Oh duh! I just thought that because I was so used to having a boyfriend that..."  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"Sorry." She giggled, and dug into her jeans pocket for something. She fished out a ratty piece of paper that was folded into eighths. "Okay... then we'll get you one."  
  
The piece of paper said 'Push' on it, so I touched it. Kate unfolded it so it was now in fourths. There were two categories: Boy and Girl. I touched Boy. She once again unfolded it, so it was only folded into halves. In each square it said something different: Date, Marry, Friend, Love. I touched the word 'Date'. She unfolded it one last time.  
  
"Now... pick a number between 1 and 23." She said, glancing up and down the paper.  
  
"Um... 12."  
  
"Okay..." She scanned the page for the number 12 and then shrieked. "Oh my god, you're going to date Gordo!" She cried out.  
  
"No way!" I snatched the paper from her hands and looked under 'Guys', number 12.  
  
Gordo.  
  
"Oh, ewww!" I exclaimed. "You need to fix that thing!"  
  
She chuckled. "I know."  
  
I giggled.  
  
"But seriously... you guys would make a sweet couple."  
  
"Ewwww! No!" I shivered. "Gross!"  
  
Kate crossed her arms across her chest. "Uh-huh."  
  
"Mark my words, Kate Saunders, Gordo and I will never, ever, EVER be a couple. If we do... I'll pay you twenty bucks."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Write it down and sign it."  
  
I groaned and took out a pen and a piece of paper and wrote-  
  
*February 6th, 2000. Kate, Gordo and I will never be a couple. If we do, I will have to pay you twenty dollars. Signed, Lizzie McGuire.*  
  
I wrote the signature in fancy handwriting so nobody would be able to forge it.  
  
"You guys are so getting together."  
  
"No, we are not!"  
  
She snorted. "Better start saving." She called as she walked away.  
  
***  
  
"No!" He gasped. "That'd be so gross!"  
  
I rolled my eyes. "Really. Get real, Parker."  
  
Parker McKenzie was the new girl at school, and the second she saw us, she's like, 'Oh, my gosh! Are you two going out? You'd look so sweet together!' She was seriously psycho.  
  
"Yeah, sure, whatever." Parker rolled her eyes and walked away, muttering, "No *friends* flirt that much."  
  
"Flirt!" I raised my eyebrows. "Do we flirt?"  
  
"No..." He said, eyeing his broccoli.  
  
"This is an-what's that word-outrage!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Everyone in this entire school thinks that we should be a couple!"  
  
He raised his eyebrows and scooped some mashed potatoes into his mouth. "Yeah, right."  
  
"Just because we have been friends forever doesn't mean that we are a couple!" I made a face.  
  
He just played around with his food, making a little mashed potatoes volcano (A/N: Ahhhhh, the classic mashed potatoes volcano with gravy lava...), not saying a word.  
  
"Gordo!"  
  
He looked up. "Wha-what?" He said, blinking several times.  
  
"Back me up here! This is so ridiculous! I'm getting so sick of this!"  
  
He shrugged. "Why do you care what other people think, anyway. It's not important."  
  
"It's important to *me*." I scowled. "Especially when they are saying that I am dating you! Talk about gross! As if you and I would ever make a couple. We're just friends." I took a deep breath and started yelling.  
  
"You hear that, people! Me and him are just friends. JUST. FRIENDS."  
  
Everyone looked at her as if she were absolutely insane, and then started chatting again, muttering 'whatever.' It didn't seem to affect anyone.  
  
What I didn't notice was that Gordo was still playing with his food silently.  
  
A/N: Hee hee! He likes her, he likes her! But he doesn't know it yet! When do you think he'll figure it out...? Sorry so short. 


	13. Realizations of Love

Chapter Seven: Realizations of Love  
  
A/N: Oh, just guess what this is about! Kind of gives it away, huh...? So many reviews! I'm so grateful! Thanks so much! And now that I finished After Rome, I'm probably going to update more often. But only a few people read it!  
  
***  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
It's not like I was anti-social. I had two best friends, Lizzie and Miranda. (Kate had become popular over the summer.) And I had a normal life. I didn't *need* to have a girlfriend.  
  
And then Brooke came along.  
  
At first, I really liked her. It was hard, though, waiting by her locker, paying for her lunch, but I eventually caught on. I thought things were just great between us. But then, I don't know... something happened that made me realize that Brooke wasn't the girl for me.  
  
Lizzie was.  
  
***  
  
"And I don't know why they would do that, David! I thought they were your friends. And why would I be using you...?" We were at the park, and Brooke was chattering away on how outrageous it was for Lizzie and Miranda to spy on us.  
  
And all I could think about was... Lizzie.  
  
She looked so cute when she collided with that waiter and went tumbling to the ground. Something inside told me that if Brooke wasn't there as my date, I probably would have helped her up.  
  
I remembered her weary smile when she knew that we had caught her, the flash of sadness in her eyes. But why sadness? Was she jealous that I was going out with Brooke? Was that possible? Did she like me as more than a friend?  
  
Her hair was perfectly blonde, and it shined when the light hit it. I wonder what conditioner she used... and I wondered what she did to make it so perfectly groomed.  
  
And her lips... was it just me, or was her lip gloss done by a makeup artist or something? They looked so wet, so shiny, so craving... I didn't have much trouble imagining kissing her. I mean, whoa! Talk about amazing.  
  
And then, as if she could read my mind, I felt lips against mine. It took me a split second to realize that these weren't *Lizzie's* lips, but Brooke's. I kissed back, although not passionately, and frowned to myself.  
  
Was I insane? I mean, here I was, kissing my girlfriend, and all I could think about was Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie! Lizzie was a best friend. BEST. FRIEND. My best girl friend. Friend that happened to be a girl. Not my girlfriend. To like her was way out of line, even for someone like me.  
  
I tried to drain the image out of my head, but all I could see was Lizzie. Lizzie and her eyes. Lizzie and her lips. Lizzie and her everything that made her the Lizzie I knew and loved.  
  
Loved?  
  
I didn't love Lizzie.  
  
At least... I didn't *think* I loved Lizzie.  
  
I might.  
  
But I didn't.  
  
I couldn't.  
  
Brooke was my girlfriend. Then why wasn't I thinking about her like this? Why couldn't I see us together twenty years from now, married, happy?  
  
But I could see me and Lizzie.  
  
I was trying to settle down the kids while I walked in through the front door. She grinned and exclaimed, "Gordo's home!" and ran toward me. I greeted her with a kiss, and gave her a box of chocolates. She hugged me, and we kissed again until one of our kids shouted ,"Eww, gross, stop it!"  
  
I looked at Brooke... and I couldn't imagine anything of that sort.  
  
Brooke and I broke apart, and she blushed, and then started up about how obnoxious my friends were. I continued to tune her out and got lost in my own thoughts. Lizzie, Lizzie's hair, Lizzie's smile, Lizzie's eyes... everything about her that I had never noticed before.  
  
It took me a while to figure it out, but then suddenly I came to the conclusion-  
  
I liked Lizzie.  
  
***  
  
"I'm sorry, okay? I just-can't do this. It's too hard for me... and anyway... It-it just wouldn't be... fair." I whispered.  
  
Brooke looked at the ground solemnly. "So I guess we're broken up now?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah, you could say that." I frowned. "But we're still friends, right?"  
  
She grinned. "Yeah."  
  
I kissed her softly on the cheek. "Sorry it had to happen." I said, and then vanished.  
  
It had been hard, but I had broken up with Brooke. Why? Because I was a guy with dignity, and I respected other people's feelings. I didn't want to secretly like Lizzie while I was dating Brooke! It would feel as if I were cheating on her, and that's the number one thing I didn't want to do.  
  
So I had broken up with her, and even though it felt so wrong... it felt so right.  
  
Now I could dream about Lizzie in peace.  
  
As soon as I left, I knew were I was going next. Lizzie's house. I had to tell her that Brooke an I had broken up. Maybe she would get the hint... maybe, just maybe, she would. Maybe then we could go out. Maybe then I could kiss her. Maybe...  
  
I'd just have to wait.  
  
A/N: Now he goes to Lizzie' house and they have the apology)  
  
***  
  
(A/N: After the apology)  
  
What was I thinking!?  
  
Lizzie liked Ethan, not me! What had infected my brain so my thoughts were processed this way? I mean, duh! Lizzie was obsessed by Ethan. Ethan the perfect man. Good hair. Reputation. Expensive clothes. Big house. Good looks. A way with girls. He was everything I wasn't.  
  
Last year, she had made it crystal clear that we weren't boyfriend and girlfriend. So I knew she didn't want us together. It stunk like a skunk.  
  
I kicked a rock as I turned onto my street.  
  
At least we were all friends again. That was a start. I made up some lame reason on how much work it was to be a boyfriend. As if. If it were Lizzie, I'd be doing those things for her right away.  
  
It surprised me how much I liked her now. I had just figured out that I liked her, and now she was all that I could think about.  
  
Oh, well. It was just a silly crush. Crushes went away. It wasn't like I was going to end up marrying Lizzie someday. They were no big deal. You forgot them in a month or so.  
  
But the thing was, it didn't go away, and I didn't forget about it. 


	14. Maybe I'm Blind

Chapter Fourteen: Maybe I'm Blind  
  
A/N: Not many reviews... oh, well. At least some people are taking the liberty of reading this... and that's good!  
  
I'm going to post my new story, 'Love Connection', really soon. It's going to be pretty short, like Amnesia was, but who really cares? I think it's going to be really cute and humorous. It starts off with Ronnie's POV, so it's kind of unique... but I know all you will love it.  
  
OMG... math homework... five hours of my three-day fall break wasted on crappy homework! I'm so glad to take a break. Writing is great. It has no rules... no decimals, no fractions, no multiplication, no square roots... no right answer. Math makes you feel so trapped, as if there is one way to do something and one thing only. Writing is so free spirited!  
  
Well, before you read this, I suggest you watch all the L/G episodes of Lizzie McGuire and the movie, because you get this... feeling.  
  
I know you've been waiting for this chapter ever since this story got posted, so here we go... Lizzie and Gordo become an official couple!  
  
***  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
It was weird... Gordo and I grew tighter than ever when Miranda went to Mexico for the summer. Sometimes I was scared we were too close. Of course, I didn't know about his major crush on me... so I thought it was odd.  
  
Then Kate had to go and tell me.  
  
Everything went wild from then. I tried to ignore it, but every time I was around him, I felt this over-friendly vibe wash over me. I didn't know if it was because I knew he liked me... or I liked him. I was confused.  
  
'You rock. Don't ever change. And only, I really mean it.' The subscription Gordo had written in my yearbook had made me flood over in admiration. I had kissed him on the cheek, making myself believe it was only friendly...  
  
But then came Rome.  
  
Rome was the eternal city. The city of romance... kind of ironic. And then I had to go and fall for this idiot, Paolo. He used me in a way I couldn't even imagine, but I was completely vulnerable to it. I continued to sneak in and out of our hotel, awestruck by Paolo's artificial kindness.  
  
Gordo covered for me one time that I almost got caught... and got himself kicked off the trip. I was flattered. No one would do that for me... but Gordo would. And then somehow he managed to stay, and now here we were, on the balcony of the hotel, having a conversation that altered out lives completely...  
  
***  
  
I bit my lower lip as I realized what I had done.  
  
I.  
  
Had.  
  
Kissed.  
  
Gordo.  
  
Gordo was grinning at me sheepishly, and I knew he wasn't going to speak first. I gulped as I searched for something to say.  
  
"Um... we better get downstairs before we get into anymore trouble." He said, his voice shaking.  
  
I smiled at him. He was cute when he was nervous. "Yeah-yeah. I can't afford any more trouble..." I trailed off, and we both ran to the elevator together.  
  
He had been dropping hints all year... and maybe before. Just little gestures, little words, small things I had missed completely. He stared at me admiringly sometimes, sometimes he grinned for no particular reason... whatever it was, I had been missing it.  
  
And guess who told me that I was ignoring it? Kate. Of all people, my utter enemy had to be the one to point it out. It really *must* have been obvious, if Kate had to be the one to tell me. I didn't believe her at first, but then I caught on to his little hints. Every time he said, "You're great," or whenever he was trying to protect me... I noticed it. And I couldn't help but think that Kate could be right.  
  
And after the incident at the murder mystery party, and the yearbook thing... and this... I felt as if maybe the feelings weren't just running one-way. Sacrificing a whole trip for me... I couldn't believe it. Where else would I find a guy so amazingly perfect? He had saved me from total humiliation, and he had been always by my side.  
  
It was nice... having someone who cared so much for me. And now I felt as if I could spend my entire life with him. I mean, from day one God had been hinting for us to get together. Pushing us. Every year there were many incidents that indicated we were destined to be together. Like that one time in first grade when I had kissed him on the cheek after he helped me take care of my skinned knee. Or when he and I went to a fortune teller in fifth grade, and she said we were going to get married... never had these happenings mattered as much as they mattered now.  
  
I had kissed him for more than one reason. One, I was thanking him, for always being there, to help me when I'd fall, to cheer me up when I was sad, or for giving up so much just so I could be happy. Two, I had always wondered what kissing him was going to be like. It seemed stupid, but it surely wasn't. It's what happens when your best friend is a boy. Three, I knew he wanted it... and four... so did I.  
  
I didn't really *care* what other people thought anymore. Gordo was a great guy, probably one of the greatest... and he was all mine now.  
  
On the way down from the elevator, I was surprised to see that Gordo was clutching my hand. I smiled at him, and he smiled back.  
  
"Are we a couple now?" I had the guts to ask.  
  
He looked taken aback. I would be, if someone had asked me something like that. "What do you think?"  
  
I wrinkled my nose. "I don't know... that's why I asked you."  
  
"Why did you kiss me?"  
  
"Because I felt like it."  
  
"You have any idea how much I wanted that?"  
  
"Yeah, I sort of did."  
  
I expected him to answer with a 'you did?', but he just smiled at me, and held the elevator door open for me. Another thing I liked about him. He was so polite.  
  
"Gordo..." I said, looking at the ground.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Um... don't-don't tell anyone about... about this, okay?" I said.  
  
His smile disappeared.  
  
"I mean-it's just that I don't know how to 'classify' us right now-it's confusing." I added hastily so he wouldn't feel as if I didn't like him, because I did.  
  
He still looked crushed.  
  
"Gordo, I really like you... but, I don't know if I like *like* you. I might... just give me a chance." I pleaded in a whisper so no one could hear me but him.  
  
His eyes shimmered, and he smiled again. "Lizzie... I'll give you a million chances."  
  
Oh, my gosh, he was so sweet. I was about to say so when Mrs. Ungermeyer barged right in.  
  
"McGuire! The press wants you!"  
  
I jumped. "Okay... I'm coming."  
  
Mrs. Ungermeyer looked at me sternly and left us alone once again.  
  
Gordo looked at the ground. "Think about it, okay?"  
  
I nodded. "I already have."  
  
He raised his eyebrows.  
  
"I like you Gordo." I confessed, kissing him on the cheek. "A lot."  
  
Gordo grinned at me one last time. I smiled back, and then I headed off for an interview, thinking of what life would be like now that Gordo and I were a couple.  
  
A/N: Anyone who answers this for me will get a BIG thank you and a sneak peek of my next new story! I'm desperate!!!:  
  
Whose sum is 10 times their difference and whose product is close to but greater than 3000. Pick two numbers; 62, 89, 21, 29, 82, 98, 34, 51, 48, 73, 85, 42, 13, 24.  
  
BUNCHES OF THANKS TO WHOEVER ANSWERS CORRECTLY! 


	15. The New Couple

Chapter Fifteen: The New Couple  
  
A/N: Well, So Yesterday and Stacy's (Magilino's if you're talking to Stacy) Mom are on the radio, I have no math homework today, I'm un-grounded, I got a good grade on science, and I got a cool language project so I'm in a good mood right now... take advantage of it!  
  
MANY THANKS TO BILAL WHO ANSWERED MY MATH THING!!!!! Without you, I would've gotten in major trouble for not finishing my homework! LOL I hate math... Ahhhhh! Thank you so much...!!! Sixth grade sucks.  
  
Sorry I haven't updated... stupid computer's Microsoft Word isn't working. I'm using WordPad. Oh, and also *cough*you know who you are*cough* it's partially your fault too! LOL  
  
10 more chapters counting this one. Oh, and I'm starting *another* story, called Matchmaker... it's really cute and maybe long... I can't wait to start!  
  
***  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
Since that day on, Lizzie and I were a couple. And not just any ordinary every-day couple. There seemed as if there was something different about us... something special. There was this *vibe*, or feeling... I wasn't sure what it was, but it didn't seem like a normal couple.  
  
We were soon to the stage of kissing and flirting, and I couldn't have been more thankful. Life was perfect. Nothing could go wrong... but then school had to start. Then we both grew a bit self-conscious. I mean, what would everyone think of us? We had spent the whole summer together, but not many people had seen us, well, *together*.  
  
We were the new couple in school.  
  
***  
  
"Are you sure everyone won't care?" She said, slipping on her high-heels.  
  
I shook my head at her admiringly. It was the first day of ninth grade... the first day that everyone would be exposed to the new Lizzie and Gordo-no longer plain Lizzie and Gordo, but Lizzie&Gordo... one item.  
  
"Why would they?" I said, reaching out for her hand as we walked down to the bus stop together.  
  
She shrugged. "I don't know... wouldn't they think it's weird? I mean, the only other person who knows is Miranda."  
  
I kissed her softly on the cheek and she blushed a deep florescent red. "I don't care what everyone thinks. Neither should you."  
  
She smiled at me.  
  
I grinned back.  
  
It was so hard to believe she was actually mine, you know? I mean, after the fifty millionth dreams and fantasies I had, I couldn't believe this was *real*. But I had kissed her, I had held her, I had whispered in her ear... I had done everything a boyfriend could've done, and she was happy with it. It was amazing... like a dream come true. Literally.  
  
I studied her closely, examining her face admiringly.  
  
"What?" She asked, scrunching up her face. "Do I have something on my face?"  
  
I chuckled and touched her cheek with my finger and let it trail down her face. "Lizzie, you're perfect."  
  
(A/N: Yeah, so I got that from Dear Lizzie. So what? It's great line!)  
  
She blushed. "Why do you always make me blush?"  
  
"I don't *make* you blush... you blush on your own." I grinned, raising my left eyebrow. "Do you know that blushing is actually a reaction from..."  
  
"Shut up, Gordo." Lizzie said, sitting down on the curb because the bus was obviously late.  
  
I sat down next to her. "Oh, and did you know that the phrase 'shut up' really comes from the language..."  
  
She put a hand on my cheek and kissed me, making me shut up immediately.  
  
Okay, so we were a couple... but not so close that we kissed on the lips all the time. Actually, this was the first time she had kissed me ever since our little fiasco in Rome. It came to me as a shock. We flirted, kissed each other's cheeks... but not like this. I didn't know... maybe it was time to take this relationship to a different stage.  
  
And I had just gotten used to this one!  
  
"Hey, Lizzie? Did you know that I liked that?" I whispered softly.  
  
She beamed, and we leaned in for another kiss. Our lips were about to touch when-  
  
"Whoo! Go Gordon!" I heard a voice faintly. "It was the slow curve, huh?"  
  
I shook my head, laughing under my breath. No doubt, Ethan had arrived.  
  
"Yeah, Ethan, it was." I said, hoping that would satisfy him.  
  
Lizzie giggled.  
  
"So you guys are together finally?" He asked, yelling across the street.  
  
"No, Ethan, we're still best friends and we were about to kiss." I joked, rolling my eyes. It seemed like the summer had done him no good. He was still the same spacey Ethan. "No romantic vibes here at all..."  
  
"Oh." He nodded as he sat down on the curb next to us. "That's cool too."  
  
Lizzie chortled under her breath, and I sighed.  
  
Ethan would be Ethan.  
  
***  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
All my life I had wondered how it would be like if Gordo and I were, quote, 'more than just friends'. I had good and bad visions, but never had it occurred to me that other people were involved. I mean, what if everyone thought it was weird? To me, it wasn't weird... it was so cool dating him! He was so sweet, so nice, so cute-I couldn't believe I didn't see it before. I sat next to him on bus, like I usually did, but this time... it felt different. I can't explain it. It was just different. He smiled at me as I rested my head on his shoulder.  
  
"I'm so tired." I groaned, making myself comfortable. "I hate Mondays."  
  
"I hate the first day of school." He grinned as he kissed me on the cheek.  
  
"Whoa!" I heard from a few seats ahead of us.  
  
My head twirled around. It was Kate. Great. Just what I needed. I almost groaned as I fake-smiled at her. "What?" I asked.  
  
"You and Gordork... since when?" She raised her eyebrows.  
  
Oh, come on. She was the one that had said he liked me... take a hint, Kate! I mean, duh, it was kind of obvious...but I couldn't say that. It was *Kate*. And even though we had become semi-friends (well, kind of) in Rome, didn't mean that she hadn't returned to her usual bratty self.  
  
"Since Rome." Gordo simply answered for me, and we went back to our conversation, ignoring the weird looks everyone was giving us, as if us being a couple was the most outrageous idea on the planet.  
  
***  
  
By the time we got to school, everyone was whispering and giving us weird looks, as if we had done something bizarre. I pretty much thought I knew what everyone was going so crazy over, but I wasn't a hundred percent sure until-  
  
"Hey, Lizzie, Gordo!" Veruca called out. "Are you guys dating? Because everyone says you are, and I just wanted to check if..."  
  
"Yeah we are..." I said, and I thought I saw Gordo's face lighten up out of the corner of my eye. "...does everyone know?"  
  
She raised her eyebrows. "Um... pretty much. Well, uh, good luck together you guys!" She smiled and I could've sworn I heard an 'It's about time' under her breath.  
  
Was it really that obvious?  
  
"Yo, Gordon!" Ethan approached us. "You never said that Lizzie was your girlfriend!"  
  
"Um, yeah, Ethan, I kind of did."  
  
I giggled.  
  
"Uh...good job, man! Everyone was betting on how long it would take you guys to get together!"  
  
My jaw dropped open. My lord, how come nobody had told me sooner? Did they *want* me to figure it out on my own? Because I knew that without Kate's help... all this wouldn't have ever happened.  
  
"Oh, and by the way, Lizzie, Kate says something about you owe her twenty bucks...? What's that all about?"  
  
I groaned. She still remembered that little bet from sixth grade? I tried to remember what it was about-oh yeah. Gordo and I wouldn't ever become a couple. Oh, god, I was young, I didn't know how absolutely amazing Gordo could be.  
  
I shrugged, and Ethan left.  
  
"Hey, Lizzie, look on the bright side." Gordo said, putting his arm around my waist. "At least no one thinks we're a bad couple."  
  
I blushed and looked at the ground. "Gordo, you shouldn't care what other people think." I scolded him.  
  
He chuckled. "I don't."  
  
"Well neither do I."  
  
"Good." He said, kissing me right on the lips.  
  
A/N: Sorry if this was more of a filler chapter... I couldn't think of anything for ninth grade! It was kind of poorly written, too... but oh well. Life goes on. Haha, well, I have to go do reading homework... it's kind of late! 


	16. Closer Than Close

Chapter Sixteen: Closer Than Close  
  
A/N: Sorry it took so long. My computer was all messed up and we had to transfer all my 'valuable' files onto several disks, and Microsoft Word had a virus and I had to install and delete it many times... I was waiting for the previous chapter to be 'proofread', but that never happened so sorry about that... and also along with that... I'm having homework to the max so... sorry. But you have to forgive me... this chapter is all sweet fluffy stuff! Next chapter is sad... this is fun!  
  
I'm so happy! I have, like, one seventy something reviews for just this! That is so cool! I keep all of my reviews (and mostly all of the emails I get), and my email is filled to the brim... eventually I'm going to have to change it or something. ^_^  
  
AHHH! GO SEE CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN!!! It is so good!  
  
***  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
Tenth grade. the year I told her I loved her. The year she made me beat a guy up because I loved her so much. She was my everything, or at least at the moment. Nothing mean more to me than her. And I got teased. Teased for being so madly in love at so young of an age. And you what? I didn't care.  
  
Just me and her until the end of time.  
  
***  
  
"It's not my fault Mr. and Mrs. Rossellini didn't have blue chrysanthemums!" I protested, whacking Lizzie with a pillow. "You'll have to deal with roses."  
  
"Hey! You messed my hair up! Now everyone's going to think I look horrible!" Lizzie exclaimed, running her fingers through her hair.  
  
The fall dance was only a few short minutes away. Lizzie had specifically asked me for a blue chrysanthemum bouquet, but the store didn't carry those (I didn't think they existed.), so I got her red roses (which were actually much more expensive), and they matched her dress perfectly. I didn't see the problem.  
  
"Lizzie... you're couldn't ever look horrible." I said, grabbing her by the waist. She turned around and stared into my eyes, and I started to gaze into hers. Neither of us spoke for about twenty seconds, but then finally Lizzie started leaning toward me.  
  
I kissed her softly on the lips and shivered. Although we had been going out for a year, I still couldn't get over that little tingle I got every time our lips contacted with each other. But I didn't want Lizzie to know she made me uncomfortable, so I cracked a lame joke we pulled every time we kissed.  
  
"Mmmm... what is that, strawberry?" I mumbled as the kiss deepened. "Or kiwi?" She giggled, which made her it kind of difficult to kiss her. "It's strawberry-kiwi lipgloss, you dope." She said as I felt her arms go around my shoulders and tickle the back of my neck.  
  
"I liked the pineapple better."  
  
I pulled her closer to me and we made out for... quite a while when Mrs. McGuire burst into the room. We snapped about immediately and started blushing. I mean, sure we were close, but when we caught kissing.. it was still embarrassing.  
  
She shook her head at us admiringly. "You guys are so cute!" She exclaimed. "Well, come on downstairs now. We have to go."  
  
Still staring at the floor, we walked out shamefully, as if we were under arrest, ready for the parents to gush over us and take a whole new bunch of pictures to add to their Lizzie/Gordo scrapbook.  
  
***  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
"I'll be right back." Gordo said sweetly.  
  
We were at the dance, and having an awesome time. Gordo was the cutest, sweetest, single most amazing person I had ever met in my life. And it felt like I had been his girlfriend since I was born. *Not* being his girlfriend, even thinking about it, sounded weird. I needed him, I needed it all. I needed the kisses he showered me with when I was sad. I needed his poetic words that always made me melt, even though they were stupid catch phrases from books.  
  
"I'll miss you." I said, hugging him. "Love you."  
  
He chuckled and headed toward the men's restroom.  
  
I sighed and looked around the gym, watching who was dancing with who. Nothing new. I sighed again and headed toward the punch bowl to hang around. No date, go to punch bowl. It was like a ritual. I was about to get a glass of punch when all of a sudden-  
  
"Hey, honey." A guy, Jason, I think, said. At first I didn't think he was talking to me, but when he wrapped his arms around my hips I was starting to get the idea.  
  
"Excuse me?" I asked.  
  
"You're hot." He whispered, pulling closer to me.  
  
I blinked. "What!?" I exclaimed.  
  
He started to kiss my neck. I tried to pry him off, but he wouldn't let go. "Get off me!" I cried. "Stop!" He didn't listen. He just kept on kissing and tightening his grip on me.  
  
I started squawking. When he reached for my rear end, I started to cry. I couldn't stop him, and no one seemed to hear my pleas of help. He wouldn't get off me and kept muttering things like, "come on, baby, don't act so immature". I couldn't do anything but cry over and over for him to stop.  
  
And before I knew it, someone was prying him off me. And right after that I was watching Gordo and Jason beat each other to shreds.  
  
"Gordo!" I shrieked. "Get off him!"  
  
Everyone had stopped dancing and now were watching Jason and Gordo punching each other on the floor. Jason was a cussing machine, and Gordo.  
  
"DAVID ZEPHYR GORDON! Don't kill him!" I yelled. "Stop! I mean it!"  
  
They were both bleeding from more than one place, and Gordo had a black eye. Still, they didn't give up. There was nothing we could do. We all stood there, me screaming at Gordo to stop, until several chaperones started to pry them off each other. I was shivering as I saw Gordo get up. He was bleeding from head to toe.  
  
"Lizzie." He choked out.  
  
"Mr. Gordon, Mr. Walker, what's the meaning of this?" A chaperone demanded. "He jumped on top of me before I could do anything!" Jason protested. "He's a madman, I tell you!"  
  
"Is this true?" She asked Gordo.  
  
"He was kissing my girlfriend." Gordo said weakly, hands behind his back. "He was practically raping her."  
  
"Who's you're girlfriend?"  
  
"I am." I said, steeping forward. "And he's right. He was kissing me against my own free will."  
  
The chaperone looked confused. "Go home. Just-just go home. All of you." She said, making shooing motions with her hand.  
  
***  
  
"I can't believe you did that!" I exclaimed. "Are you, like, insane? Jason could've seriously killed you!"  
  
He moaned as I run the wet cloth across the wound on his arm gently. "Owwww! Liz-zie!"  
  
I slapped him with it.  
  
"Hey!" He cried. "What are you *doing*!?"  
  
"Why did you start that fight?" I slapped him with the cloth again. "Huh, huh? Is it because you think I can't fight my own battles?"  
  
"No, Lizzie, I-"  
  
I whipped the wet cloth against his flesh and he yelped. "'No, Lizzie.'" I mimicked. "You are stupid, you know that? You are the stupidest person in this entire world! I could've gotten him off me without your help, you know! But you know what the funniest thing is? I liked it! I liked kissing him, mmm-hmm. I *liked* it! And you know why? Because I never get to do any of that stuff with you! And *you're* supposed to be my boyfriend! You!" I poked him in the shoulder. "You!"  
  
"M-me?" He stuttered.  
  
"Uh, like, DUH!" I frowned and sat down on the floor. "You're my boyfriend, and have *you* ever pushed me into a corner and forcefully made out with me? Have you?"  
  
"I, uh, never thought you wanted to." He said, rubbing the places I'd hurt him.  
  
"Well, I don't!"  
  
"Then why did you say that you did!?" He sighed. "Look, the only reason I jumped on that guy is because I love you, Lizzie McGuire, I love you!"  
  
God.  
  
I never thought he would say that.  
  
I mean, in all the years I've known David Gordon, I've known him as a friend, and slowly as a boyfriend, but never did I think that he would fall in love with someone so easily. especially me. And hearing that from Gordo's mouth just made me melt.  
  
"I couldn't let anyone else hurt you. I didn't want you to leave me." He kept talking, but I didn't listen. Love me? Did he seriously mean that? Like, love love? The real love? Or was he just making fun of me? Taking all my feelings for him and making a fool out of myself?  
  
".and I'm sorry."  
  
"Oh, Gordo." I said, inching closer to him. I would've sat down next to him on the couch, but I couldn't since he was lying down, shirtless, and bleeding. "I love you too."  
  
He smiled, touching the part he was bleeding the most. "Good. Now please take care of my chest. it's killing me!"  
  
"I'm gonna get more ice from mom, okay?"  
  
"No, don't leave me, Lizzie, I won't survive without you." He said, placing a hand on my head.  
  
I giggled. "Gordo, get up and scoot over. I'm sick of you hogging the couch."  
  
He grinned and let me sit down next to him, and automatically started caressing my hair.  
  
"Do you feel better now?" I asked, snuggling into him.  
  
"Not exactly."  
  
I bent over and kissed every one of his wounds. "Now?"  
  
He shrugged. "A little."  
  
I kissed him on the lips. "Now?"  
  
He smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I tried to hide my smile. He did this almost every time before he kissed me. And I was right. In a very short while, I was making out with Gordo. He didn't even try to crack one of his lame jokes. He just kept kissing, and I kept kissing back.  
  
Before I knew it, he was kissing my neck and caressing my hair. At first I was in heaven, but then I couldn't help but giggle. I mean, here I was, making out with a guy shirtless and wounded so bad he could barely move.  
  
The kiss slowly ended, and when it did, I started to fix up his injuries again. "Hey, Lizzie?" He asked as I wrapped some gauze around his hand.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Two things. One, I love you."  
  
I smiled. "And."  
  
"And. I don't know if anyone has ever told you this, but you're really hot when you're mad." 


	17. I Thought You Loved Me

Chapter Seventeen: I Thought You Loved Me  
  
A/N: Dude, I got my computer back! Everything is the same again! No more problems with stuff! I'm so happy, but I miss my laptop. oh well. My computer is back! ~_~ More chapters are going to be coming really soon!  
  
I'm so sorry this is short... I didn't want to stretch it because when you stretch things like this it gets boring and a little over angsty. This is a sad chappie, with raging mad people and heartbreaking news... but that's what makes it so dramatic!  
  
OMG, OMG Come Clean is on the radio! Ahhhhh! First time on the radio! =)  
  
I'm thanking music for this chapter. I've been listening to the radio a lot lately, and a lot of the songs are so stupid, but some of them have so much meaning packed into them, and they can be so inspiring. Like Come Clean. It was the biggest influence on me lately. It so touches my heart. I mean, since the video came out, you hear it a lot, it's so beautiful! Eeee!  
  
***  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
Eleventh grade. Hated it. It was a major suckfest in my lifetime. I honestly hate Lucy Carmichael. She ruined everything. Too bad it was all a misunderstanding, because that year I spent way too much of my time alone in my room, bawling my eyes out.  
  
Stupid to cry over a girl, but what if that girl was Lizzie? Losing her was so incredibly terrible that I didn't know where to being. And when I thought it was finally calm down, I'd see her with some new guy, and the misery all flooded back. Yes, eleventh grade was lonely.  
  
I never stopped loving her, although I bet she stopped loving me.  
  
Love stinks.  
  
***  
  
"Gordo! Let me open my eyes!" Lizzie exclaimed. "I wanna see!"  
  
"Wait, Lizzie, just wait."  
  
I tightened my grip on her hand and lead her to the place. It was my secret surprise for our three-and-a-half year anniversary. We had gotten together in June of 2003, and now it was December of 2006, and not once had we broken up, and I thought we deserved something in our honor. Not many couples lasted that long.  
  
"Okay, you can look." I said letting go of her hand.  
  
She opened her eyes slowly. "Oh, my gosh, Gordo, it's-it's our names in the cement!"  
  
I grinned proudly. Yes, there it was, on the sidewalk leading to the fountain, embedded in the cement, "Lizzie and Gordo forever" with a little heart around it. A little sappy for my taste, but it was worth the smile she had on her face... and the kiss she gave me.  
  
"Gordo, you're the best boyfriend in the whole universe!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around my neck.  
  
I quivered. Hearing that made me so happy. The best boyfriend in the universe. She thought there was no one better. She thought I was the best. In the universe.  
  
"I love you." She whispered, kissing me.  
  
"Hey, that's not all."  
  
She grinned. "Oh, really?"  
  
"Yeah. I made us a whole schedule." I said, getting out a piece of paper. "10:00, we make out. 10:30, we make out. 11:00, we make out. Now what do we do at 11:30?"  
  
"Make out?" She tried.  
  
"No! We go to the Holy Rigatoni for lunch!"  
  
Lizzie looked hesitant. "Let's not. " I automatically knew why. The Holy Rigatoni was the place that Miranda and Lizzie screwed up my date with Brooke, but also the place I fell in love with Lizzie. But she didn't know that, and she thought dates were all jinxed there or something. I had taken her there once, and the date ended early because I spilled my lemon ice all over the place.  
  
"Let's forget that then." I said, touching her cheek. "But can we still make out?"  
  
She blushed. "Why not?", and with that we were off to go make out sitting by the cupid fountain.  
  
***  
  
"David... who's Lucy Carmichael?" My dad asked.  
  
I froze. Lucy Carmichael. How did my father know about her? "Um... a schoolmate." I said, half-lying. "Why?"  
  
"Does Lizzie know?"  
  
"Know what?"  
  
"Know... this." He said, holding up the local newspaper.  
  
My jaw dropped. Under the large heading "New Park Opens in Hillridge!" was a picture of Lucy and me making out seriously under the fountain. Underneath the picture was a caption that read, "Young lovers having fun at Ocean Spray Park, opened recently."  
  
My hand flew to my mouth. "How-how did someone get this?"  
  
"Care to explain it?"  
  
"But, mom, dad, that kiss was a total mista-oh god, Lizzie!" I closed my eyes.  
  
I had to get to Lizzie before she could see this,. If she did, she would most definitely get the way wrong idea and bad things could happen. Lucy Carmichael was bad news, and she could get anyone she wanted to believe her. She was the most convincing person I knew. I had to get to Lizzie before Lucy did. Lucy and Lizzie were half-friends, and if she... no. This was not happening.  
  
I dashed for the nearest phone and dialed her number as fast as my fingers would let me.  
  
"Hello?" Matt's voice boomed in my ear.  
  
"It's Gordo." I yelled hastily into the receiver. "Is Lizzie there?"  
  
"Oh, Gordo... I really don't think Lizzie wants to talk to you right now." I could almost see Matt making the unsure face of his.  
  
"Give her the phone!" I practically screamed.  
  
"Okay, okay." He said, and for a moment there was static. I heard a faint, "It's Gordo..." and a grunt.  
  
"Hello?" Lizzie mumbled.  
  
"Hey, Lizzie, listen that thing with Lucy-"  
  
*click*  
  
She had hung up on me. I closed my eyes and looked at the ceiling. It was worthless to call again. She would just keep hanging up. I had to go there in person.  
  
"I'm going to Lizzie's!" I called out, and ran out the door.  
  
Lizzie hated me. It was no fair.  
  
Lucy had hit on me. The kiss was totally unintentional. She had invited me to meet her at the park to work on our science project, and I had gone. Then before I knew it, she was leading me to the fountain, complimenting me, making me in every way nervous. Then she started running her hand through my hair and scooted toward me. I tried to get away from her, but, she grabbed me and started to kiss me. Hard. Very hard. It wasn't my fault at all.  
  
I stormed down the few blocks and into her house, up the stairs to her room, where I knew she'd be, under her covers, crying.  
  
"Lizzie, I can explain."  
  
"Go AWAY!" She screamed, throwing a pillow at me. "I *HATE* YOU!"  
  
"I didn't mean to kiss her, Liz."  
  
She didn't move. "Don't you dare call me 'Liz'. Now get out of my HOUSE!"  
  
I stared at the ground. "Why don't you believe me?"  
  
"Because Lucy called me, telling me that she you would try to make me believe it was all her fault, but that you forcefully kissed her."  
  
I was appalled. Lizzie took her word over mine? "And you believe her!? That Lucy is a lying, cheating, hitting, sluttish..."  
  
"Save it, Gordon. I seriously can't believe you. If you didn't want to go out with me, you could've just said so, instead of leading me on like that! I trusted you, Gordo, I thought you were perfect. The best guy on this planet, but nooo, it was all an act!" She finally faced me. "Now get OUT! This relationship is more than over. So just GO! Get out of my LIFE, David Gordon!"  
  
A/N: Sorry it had to happen, I was practically crying while writing this thing. =( But it'll get better... later.  
  
Okay, listen up people, I wrote lyrics to a song, it's not half-bad for once. But I need someone to write music for it. If anyone can write music, please please please take the liberty of kindly e-mailing me, and I'll email you the song so you can check it out and maybe write music to it! It's called "Silver Lining", and I really think it's better than all my other attempts, so... please try.  
  
xoxo,  
  
PersonY2K 


	18. Forgive and Forget

Chapter Eighteen: Forgive and Forget  
  
A/N: Yay! Over 200 reviews! And I'm not even done yet! I hope you all like this chapter because I worked really hard on it, and it's much happier. The best part? It's LONG.  
  
Someone, anyone, go see Win a Date With Tad Hamilton, because I'm badly grounded and can't see it! Bummer. I wanted to see this movie real bad so if anyone sees it tell me!! ~_~  
  
***  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
Alex Simmons. He was my new boyfriend now. I didn't need that lousy Gordo. It was my senior year in high school, and I had to face the fact that I had to let go of my childhood friends and memories.  
  
Right.  
  
The only reason I dated Alex is because I was so lonely I thought I'd commit suicide. No one knew that, though, not even myself. I thought Alex was amazing-and he was... but he was no Gordo. It was okay, though, dating him, since Gordo had hurt me so much. I didn't know that Lucy Carmichael was such a fraud, not until later, anyway.  
  
I had met Alex while volunteering at a psychology center over the winter break. The people there said he had temper problems, but I hung out with him a lot and found the real Alex, the thoughtful, kind one. I forcefully convinced the people to let him stop taking those anger management classes, and after doing him such a wonderful favor, he wanted to thank me... and ever since we had been boyfriend and girlfriend.  
  
Never had he acted like he was mad... I didn't understand what his temper problems were until a while later...  
  
Gordo had been dateless since I'd dumped him. I didn't see much of him, and when I did, we would start fighting like cats and dogs. He was always so sad and lonely... I wished he could at least have a girlfriend or something, but no, he continued to occasionally hang out with Miranda, get good grades, and be the same person he had been since birth. He hated me, though.  
  
Or so I thought.  
  
***  
  
"Alex..." I said, sighing, one day at lunch in the twelfth grade. "Don't you feel sorry for David Gordon?"  
  
Alex raised his eyes. "No.. he's a total geek."  
  
I didn't know how to answer to that. I didn't want to protest, or else he would think I was a geek, too. But I didn't want him to be insulting Gordo. I mean, he might've cheated on me, but he was still okay... and we had shared our lives together.  
  
"But he's always so alone!" I exclaimed. "Poor guy."  
  
"Yeah... he needs a girlfriend like you." Alex seemed like he knew what he was talking about, but rephrased it. "I mean, not *you*, but someone as good as you."  
  
I giggled. "I get it."  
  
We ate in silence for a few minutes as I observed Gordo eating. He was concentrating on his sandwich, not glancing up for even a split second to see what was happening around him. I guess it didn't matter to him. I mean, no friends, no girlfriend, what was there to pay attention to?  
  
It was true I felt sorry for him, but I felt sorry for me, too. I missed him. Kind of. I liked him, even though he was a liar and a cheater. Everyone has their faults. No one's perfect. I was a year older now, wiser. But I should've made that decision before. Now I had a boyfriend, and Gordo had definitely forgotten about me.  
  
"You know we used to be friends?"  
  
"Who, you and Gordon?" Alex looked shocked. "When?"  
  
"Since birth. He's only a week older than me, and we grew up together. We dated, last year, but I broke up with him because he cheated on me. He's a nice guy and all... just a little weird." I almost whispered, studying him. He hadn't changed a bit. Same eyes, same hair, same lips...  
  
I shivered at the memory of kissing him.  
  
Alex was looking at me in alarm. "You went out with him?"  
  
"Yeah, I did." I said, glancing at him once again. "You know, wait here. I'm going to go talk to him."  
  
***  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
I was perfectly intent on my baloney sandwich, when Lizzie came over and sat down right next to me.  
  
I was confused. Usually, people just ignored me, like they did a ceiling tile. If you're really bored you stare at the ceiling, and that's what people did; when they were really bored, they'd talk to me. But never in about a year had anyone sat down next to me during lunch. Especially Lizzie, my ex.  
  
"Lucy Carmichael kissed you, didn't she?" Lizzie whispered, staring at the pole next to our table. "It wasn't the other way around, was it?"  
  
It was about time she noticed.  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
She turned to face me, her eyebrows scrunched together. "Yeah? Then why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"You didn't listen." I shrugged, mixing up the fruit on the bottom with my yogurt.  
  
"And you let me go just like that? You let me believe all this time that you were a rotten liar?" She said, mouth open. "Didn't you even love me?"  
  
"Yeah, I did, Lizzie."  
  
I still did.  
  
I was madly in love with her... once true love starts, it can't be stopped. I'd spent the last year browsing through photographs; not necessarily us together, but just her. I needed to see her smiling face to keep myself alive. She was so beautiful, so kind, and no matter how many pictures you had, you couldn't live on them. I was close to going crazy, but seeing her at school was okay. Sure, she was with someone else, but I didn't care. I loved her. But of course, she couldn't know that.  
  
"Lucy is so dead." She scowled, and then started staring at the pole and whispering again. "Do you hate me for not figuring this out earlier?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Are you mad?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Frustrated?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Do you even care about our relationship anymore?"  
  
I hesitated, and searched for the right thing to say. I cared. Of course I did. But to tell her that or not... and how to word it...?  
  
"We don't have one." I replied.  
  
She rolled her eyes. "I mean, the one we had before."  
  
I sighed. "Lizzie, just please let me eat my lunch in peace." And with that, I picked up my tray and moved to another empty table, leaving poor Lizzie dumbfounded.  
  
***  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
I frowned. Gordo was not supposed to ditch me like that! We were supposed to be friends! Or at least, I was hoping we could be friends. I was sick of this childish fight between us. It should've been resolved a year ago. We were in twelfth grade, hello! Just half a year and we'd be in college! If that's not mature, I don't know what is.  
  
I got up, frowning.  
  
Miranda would hear about this. Ever since me and Gordo broke up, she had been so determined that he still loved me and that we had to get together again. She was totally committed to get us in love all over again. But really... our relationship wasn't *love*. It was just two high-school kids making out all the time. Love doesn't necessarily consist of making out, but we thought it did. Sure, we bought each other gifts, giggled every now and then... it was so stereotype.  
  
We had seen it everywhere, on TV, in the movies, in books, but really what love means, what a relationship is, is not all the things they show on TV. It's deeper, kind of hard to explain. And you can only fall in love once. So far, I was still at zero. I never loved Gordo, and I certainly didn't love Alex. I mean, sure, we were boyfriend/girlfriend, but that doesn't mean we have to love each other, right?  
  
I shook my head and brought myself back to the table Alex was sitting at. I had to stop thinking so much. It was permanently damaging my brain.  
  
"You still love him." Alex frowned, crossing his arms.  
  
My eyes widened. Had I not just finished a long lecture about how I had never loved anyone, and that I probably wouldn't anytime soon?  
  
"No, I don't!" I insisted. "Never!"  
  
He shook his head at me and his nostrils flared angrily. "You can't stop loving someone!" He exclaimed. "It's not human."  
  
"Alex, calm down..." I soothed. "I never loved him."  
  
His eyes flickered. "Oh sure, then why did you talk to him? Huh? Huh?" He poked my shoulder.  
  
"Because-I don't know, but I know I don't love him."  
  
"Yes, you do." He sighed and resumed to eating.  
  
***  
  
"Oh, not this movie again!" I groaned. "Can we please see something else?"  
  
Alex frowned. "No. I want to watch this."  
  
I scowled. Ever since my date with Alex had began, he being so hostile and snobby. Everything had to be his way. First the dinner... he took us to this funky place where the food was terrible. He ordered everything he *knew* I didn't like. And he made me pay for it, which wouldn't have been so bad if the bill wasn't a hundred and fifteen dollars. Plus tax.  
  
Then he dragged me to this boring movie that we had already seen. When we saw it the first time, he said it was the worst movie ever, and now he wanted to see it again? And was it necessary to buy everything at the concession stand and make me pay for it all again?  
  
"Okay, but can you pay? I'm a little low on cash..." I said, smiling. "... and I'm saving for this killer pair of boots."  
  
"I'm broke." He said flatly, and headed toward the theater, arms loaded with popcorn and soda and gummi worms and junior mints.  
  
'I'm broke.' I mimicked under my breath as he disappeared, and paid the guy behind the counter. "Bye-bye boots." I murmured.  
  
I trudged my way to the theater and sat down next to Alex. "Alex, why are you acting all nasty?" I whispered hastily.  
  
His jaw dropped. "Me?" He exclaimed, his face scrunching up. It seemed like he was going to explode, but he took two deep breaths and smiled. "I mean... let's just rent a movie at my house."  
  
I grinned. "No, my house."  
  
"There's no one home at my house." He whispered.  
  
I giggled. "Let's go!"  
  
***  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
"Take a walk. It'll help you clear your thoughts."  
  
That's what Phil had said.  
  
Phil was one of my dad's co-workers. My dad had thought I needed psychological therapy ever since I broke up with Lizzie. And I couldn't blame the guy. I'd be concerned too, if my kid did nothing but sleep and do homework all day long. He was worried, and hated to shrink me himself, so he hired Phil to do it.  
  
Phil was a pretty cool guy. He got stuff. He understood what I was going through. He actually was sympathetic. He said it is common for a 'young male' to go under depression at my age. It's part of adolescence. Like I didn't know that. But he helps. And today, after talking to Lizzie, I knew I had to use one of Phil's do-so-you-don't-commit-suicide techniques.  
  
Walking.  
  
So here I was, "gathering my thoughts".  
  
The reason I was in therapy wasn't only because of Lizzie. She was only a fourth of it. I didn't know what my purpose was in life. What was I here to do? I wasn't good at anything, when everyone else was great at something. I felt like God had made me by accident, and the world would be the same if I wasn't there. I tried to think of ways that I'd influenced society, and came up with zilch. It was completely pointless.  
  
I was completely pointless.  
  
People would call this 'self-esteem issues', but I call it life. I respected myself. And my achievements. It's just that there wasn't much *to* respect. I lived for the sake of grades. I worked hard to get As, since that was the only thing that mattered in life anymore.  
  
I mean, really. Does TV and movies and music matter? How is it going to help you in the long run? Why go to the beach? I mean, fun isn't necessary in life. Life was a race, and the people who stopped to have fun finished last. It was kind of corny, using all of these clichés to explain how I felt, but Phil said it was okay as long as I'm expressing my feelings.  
  
It seems like I base my life on what Phil says.  
  
It wasn't like I was in deep depression, either. I didn't drink, I didn't smoke, nor did I have the urge to. I hadn't caused any car accidents, or committed suicide or anything. I just wasn't happy. Bored, I guess.  
  
I knew Lizzie could fix this all. If I got her back, this depression thing would all go away. She would definitely make things better for me. Much better.  
  
So now I was walking.  
  
Talking to Lizzie today had been terrifying. Miranda had said that she talked about me occasionally, and still seemed to want to be friends, but she didn't know how scary it was to speak to her after that break up. But, hey, at least now she knew that Lucy had kissed me. I wondered how she could've found out. Maybe a wild guess?  
  
But Lizzie had Alex now, and even if she wanted to get back together with me, it couldn't happen. I couldn't love her anymore than a beetle can love a princess. Even if the princess tried to notice the beetle, she'd end up stepping all over-  
  
My thoughts were interrupted by my cellphone. Who could be calling at 8 at night? Miranda, maybe? My parents?  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"...Gordo..."  
  
Lizzie?  
  
My eyes bulged. She was panting, gasping for air as if she were getting choked to death. Why was Lizzie calling me? Why was she breathing like that?  
  
"Lizzie!?" I exclaimed. "What-are... where are... why are you calling?"  
  
"Alex...." She wheezed. "...he's gonna kill me..."  
  
I almost dropped the phone right then and there.  
  
"WHAT!?" I exclaimed. "Lizzie, are you okay? What's going on?" I asked frantically.  
  
He was going to kill her? What was up with that?  
  
"495 Oakland Avenue. He's got a knife. Save me, Gordo, please come here and- "  
  
I heard some muffled yelling in the background and the phone going dead.  
  
I gasped.  
  
Lizzie was in trouble.  
  
I dialed 911 and sprinted for Oakland Avenue.  
  
***  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
"You love him, don't you?" He said, running the knife against my cheek. "Yes, you do..."  
  
I squeezed my eyes shut. "Alex. Stop." I whimpered, feeling the blood drip down my face. "Don't."  
  
"What's so wrong about me, huh?" He said, poking my other cheek lightly. "Why him?"  
  
I shivered. "I don't love him." I tried to untie my hands in protest.  
  
Now I knew why Alex was in a mental facility.  
  
He was crazy.  
  
He had tied me to a chair, tied up feet, and after he saw me call Gordo, he crushed my cellphone and tied my hands. He got a knife and started to question me, and not even listening to the answers, he'd make a small cut in my body with the knife every time. I was bleeding all over.  
  
"SHUT UP!" He yelled. "You know you love him. Just admit it."  
  
"I love you, Alex." I whimpered. So maybe that wasn't true, but this guy was killing me!  
  
"NO YOU DON'T!" He said, whipping the knife across my wrists.  
  
I screeched in pain. "You're hurting me." I sobbed, and started to cry.  
  
I stared out the window. Where was Gordo? Wasn't he supposed to be here by now?  
  
"It's supposed to hurt!" He said, and started yelling curse words again. "Now shut up before I tape up your mouth!"  
  
I sniffled. "Okay."  
  
And right then, I heard the faint sound of sirens. 'They're coming for me!' I thought to myself. 'Gordo's gonna save me! He's coming! He's coming! Thank you God, I love you so much! And whatever I did to deserve this, I am so utterly sorry and I will never do it again. Promise.' Suddenly, I heard the door banging down and people marching into the house.  
  
Saved!  
  
Ahead of everybody ran Gordo, and when he saw me his jaw dropped and he gasped.  
  
"What did he *do* to you?"  
  
The rest of the night was a blur. The police arrested Alex and whisked him off to jail, where he's be questioned. They said he'd probably have to go back to the mental institute, or spend a few years either in Juvi or jail. The firemen went back to their station, probably disappointed that they weren't needed. The ambulance whisked me to the hospital, and took Gordo along with them, who called my family and his. Everything went so fast that I could barely remember anything happened, but I do remember this one moment alone with Gordo at the hospital.  
  
"You saved me." I said, as Gordo stroked my hair. "I don't know how to thank you."  
  
He smiled. "Well, I wouldn't have forgiven myself if anything had happened to you and I wasn't there to stop it."  
  
I blushed. "So, Gordo, um... I've been meaning to say this for a while, but it just kind of never came out..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I love you."  
  
His eyes widened. "Really?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"I love you too." He said, and gently kissed me on the lips. 


	19. College Dreams

Chapter Nineteen: College Dreams  
  
A/N: I absolutely LOVE this chapter! I hope you guys do too. I've been waiting forever to write this! I'm so excited!! ^_^ OMG I got so many reviews for the last chapter! I think this is probably my most famous story, or maybe Romeo and Juliet is. But whatever... keep the reviews coming! I love the suggestions and help every now and then!  
  
Ahhh, I'm so excited! My birthday is in one and a half weeks... February 19th. I'm finally, finally going to be twelve! Yes! ^_~  
  
Oh, and from now on, the chapters aren't going to be yearly. The next chapter is over a lapse of time, kind of flashbacky, then after that is, like, three years later, then after that is like... four years, then six months, then like twenty years... yup... I'll tell you how would they are or whatever, though. Gosh, there are only 5 more chapters left, not including this one. I didn't think I'd write this fast! ^_^  
  
Btw, in class, we're doing our autobiographies. It's really hard, but it's due in May. But if anyone has done this project before, please give me suggestions on how to get started because I am so confused. We have to write a chapter on every year of our life... hey, that's a lot like this story!! ~_~  
  
***  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
After Lizzie and I got together again, it was time for our relationship to take a test.  
  
Long-distance.  
  
We knew for a fact that we couldn't possibly go to the same college, but we kind of wished we could. I mean, I applied to the big colleges, Harvard, Oxford, Stanford... basically all the Ivy League schools and other high rated ones. And Lizzie... she was trying as hard as she could to get into Hillridge University. We had to make a big choice, well, it's more like *I* had to make a big choice. It was either one of those schools, or just go to HU with Lizzie.  
  
I knew she wanted me to stay. I wanted me to stay. But these schools were impossible to get into, and I was getting a full scholarship! I had no idea what to do, because I was almost sure that Lizzie and I would drift apart if we went to different colleges. But I couldn't pass this up. I didn't know what to do.  
  
So I jumped for the easiest solution- marriage.  
  
***  
  
"Ugh!" Lizzie groaned. "University of California turned me down."  
  
I smiled at her. "It's okay. You don't want to go there, trust me."  
  
"Why, have you heard something?"  
  
"No." I shrugged. "I just don't want you to go."  
  
She looked at me sternly. "Ha-ha. That's not even funny, you know."  
  
I chuckled. "How come you've gotten all your rejections and acceptions to all these colleges, and I've only gotten one?"  
  
"Because I don't apply for ones halfway across the world."  
  
I grinned at her.  
  
Ever since Lizzie and I had gotten back together, we had a real relationship. Before, we thought the whole point of dating was making out. But it's not. You have to care about the other person, sympathize them, help them, treat them like you would treat the most important person in the world. It was funny how everyone else figured this out before us, but I guess a relationship can't always be perfect.  
  
Before, kissing Lizzie was second nature. But now, we rarely ever kissed, and when we did, it felt like our first kiss all over. It was like eating chocolate all the time. You start to get sick of it, but if you have it occasionally, it somehow tastes better. And our relationship wasn't just, you know, two teens dating, but different. Like a husband-wife deal... without the wedding. We understood each other. We fought, but always got together.  
  
My life was beginning to restore itself to perfect again.  
  
Too bad I only could enjoy it for a few months.  
  
"I hope Oxford turns you down." Lizzie said, tearing open another envelope. "And all those other big-shot colleges."  
  
I looked at her. "*Lizzie*."  
  
"Kidding." She giggled. "And anyway, if you were to get into an Ivy League school, there would be no way to stop you from going." She read the letter inside and grinned. "Ooh, I can go to HU!"  
  
"HU...? Don't you think you can get into something better?" I asked, leaning back on the couch.  
  
"Like what? Yale?" She rolled her eyes in sarcasm. "I'm not as smart as you think I am, Gordo." She reached for another envelope.  
  
"Hey, want to go get an ice cream later?"  
  
She shook her head. "I have to be at the elementary school today, remember? I'm helping Miranda out with Wonderful Weekdays for the kids. And besides, I'm flat-broke."  
  
"Well, so am I, but-"  
  
"Oh, my god!" Lizzie exclaimed suddenly. "This letter isn't for me, it's for you! It's from... Harvard."  
  
I smiled. "I know. I brought it here. I was thinking we could open it together?"  
  
Her eyes lit up. "Okay."  
  
I picked up the envelope and gulped. I didn't know what to wish for. If I got admission, I'd have to leave Lizzie. And if I didn't... then everything I had ever worked for wouldn't have paid off. It was a lose-lose situation. I grumbled. Nothing was fair in life.  
  
I ripped it open slowly, Lizzie peering closely. I slipped out the piece of paper and started reading.  
  
"Dear Mr. Gordon... blah, blah, blah... we are thrilled to announce that you have been accepted to attend our college. We are impressed by your academic results and want to interview you for a full scholarship-"  
  
Lizzie's jaw dropped open. "You made it!" She exclaimed. "YOU MADE IT!" I smiled shyly. "Yeah."  
  
"YOU'RE GOING TO HARVARD!" She screamed enthusiastically. "OH MY GOD! You have any idea how lucky you are?"  
  
"Well, it's not luck..."  
  
She sprinted to the nearest telephone and dialed Miranda's number. "GORDO GOT INTO HARVARD!" She yelled, then slammed the phone down. "This calls for a celebration."  
  
I shrugged. Yeah, I was excited and all, but what was the big deal? And she shouldn't even be happy. If I got into Harvard, I had to leave her.  
  
"Lizzie." I said calmly. "I might not even go."  
  
Her eyes bulged, and she put her hands on her hips. "WHAT?" She exclaimed. "NOT GO!? Gordo, this is the best thing ever! A full scholarship to the best college in the world? I mean, are you crazy?"  
  
"I can't leave you." I whispered.  
  
Her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my god... if you go..." She sat down next to me slowly, shocked.  
  
I nodded slowly. "I'll have to leave you."  
  
***  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
It was a week later, and Gordo still hadn't made up his mind. I had just given in to Hillridge University. College started in less than a month, and everyone was pressuring Gordo to make a decision.  
  
I didn't. I wanted him to stay, I mean, of *course*. But I couldn't be the reason he didn't go to Harvard, one of the best colleges in the world. That was plain stupid. I had told him to pick whichever college he wanted. I knew he wanted to go to Harvard, but he refused to let it show. But I could tell.  
  
"Gordo!" I exclaimed one day on a hamburger-date we were on. "You're spacing out again!"  
  
He blinked. "Huh?" He said, looking back at me.  
  
I rolled my eyes. "What were we talking about?" I asked him, knowing he would give me the wrong answer.  
  
"Um... stuff..."  
  
I smiled. "Dreaming about Harvard again?" I said knowingly.  
  
He raised his eyebrows. "I don't want to go." He crossed his arms matter-of- factly. "Therefore, why would I want to go?"  
  
"You're not a very good liar, Gordo."  
  
He sighed. "Okay... so I want to go. But I can't." He said. "Simple as that."  
  
"Am I the reason why you can't?" I asked softly, although I knew the answer.  
  
"Don't blame this on yourself."  
  
I made a face.  
  
How could I *not* blame it on myself? It was all my fault. Gordo would be able to go to a top-notch college without any regret if it weren't for me. But no, he just had to be so humble and kind enough as to give up all his hopes and dreams to spend his college years alongside me. How could I not feel guilty?  
  
Ever since Gordo had been in the ninth grade, he had jabbered his life plan to me endlessly. First, he would get a law degree from some wonderful college, then he would find another college that specialized in filmmaking, and then he would work his way to Hollywood, and become a director. And then I had to come along and squash it all. Why couldn't have I been smart as Gordo? Then maybe I would've gotten into Harvard, too.  
  
I sighed. "Gordo, you're going."  
  
This was the most unselfish thing I had done in years. I really cared for Gordo, and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. But if you really, truly cared for someone, you'd do anything to make them happy, and all the selfishness God included in your personality magically disappears. It's all about them now.  
  
But it wasn't helping. I was thinking about what's best for him, while he was thinking about what was best for me. I knew Gordo had an urge to take care of me, be around me all the time, and I loved it. But I think I could live without him, as long as we called and emailed and all that. As long as he was happy.  
  
"Oh no I'm not!" He said.  
  
"It's practically all free!" I exclaimed. "A full scholarship to Harvard! I mean, seriously. Anyone with half a mind knows that. Why on Earth would you want to stay here? To take care of me? Well, listen, Gordo, I can do fine on my own. And we can still keep in touch-"  
  
He looked puzzled. "Does that mean you *want* to suffer from the effects of a long-distance relationship?"  
  
"I'm willing to give up having you here in Hillridge, if only you'd go." I said. "Don't you think we're strong enough to handle a long-distance relationship? I mean, Gordo, I've known you since birth. I've been dating you since the ninth grade. And still you don't believe our relationship is tough enough to go through long-distance?"  
  
"Well, Lizzie, it's not that easy giving you up." He said, taking a bite of his sandwich. "Anyway, there's got to be an easier way to solve this."  
  
I shrugged, and we munched on our food in silence until Gordo's eyes lit up.  
  
"I have the greatest idea!" He exclaimed, his hair bouncing up and down.  
  
I raised my eyebrows.  
  
"No, really." He grinned. "Okay, meet me at Sunny's Point tomorrow at 5pm sharp. Be there. Okay?"  
  
I nodded, but was a little hesitant.  
  
What was going on here?  
  
***  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
I was pacing back an forth at Sunny's Point the next day at 5:01 pm. Should I really do this? Was it entirely necessary? Why was Lizzie late? One minute and twenty-six seconds, no, twenty-seven...  
  
I sat down on a large rock, leaned back, and closed my eyes.  
  
Man, oh man, this was going to be hard. But just to think of Lizzie again, her blonde hair flowing down her shoulders, her smile, her giggle... it made me drown. I just had to think of her, just for a split second, and all my worries vanished. Just one touch of her hand and felt paralyzed, and my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth, and my knees started knocking. And kissing her, well, that was a different story. I didn't feel scared. I felt free. No worries, no cares, just me and her in an unforgettable trance.  
  
" I love you." I whispered lightly.  
  
"I love you too, Gordo." I heard giggling. "So why am I here?"  
  
My eyes flew open. It was Lizzie.  
  
"Oh, uh... nothing." I said, scooting over on the rock so she could sit next to me. "I just wanted to... chill."  
  
She raised her left eyebrow. "Oh, come on. I think I know you well enough to know that it's never nothing, and you don't just invite places to 'chill', so to speak."  
  
How does she always know?  
  
"Well..." I started. "It's like this.... You know how I don't want to go to Harvard because I don't want to live without you, and *other* reasons, right?" I said stressing the world 'other'.  
  
She nodded, motioning for me to go on.  
  
"And we thought there was no cure for this, except that I could go to HU, which I seriously considered."  
  
"Consider*ed*?" She asked. "As in, past tense?"  
  
"Well, I figured that I really don't want to go to HU, especially when I'm getting a full scholarship to Harvard. My parents strongly recommend I go to Harvard, but they're letting me make my own choice. But if I go, then I have to leave you behind. But then I thought, 'What if Lizzie got into Harvard?'"  
  
Before she could stutter, I went on.  
  
"And you're thinking, 'but I got turned down to Harvard. How can I go?' But there is a way out. And after a lot of thinking and a lot of planning and a lot of more thinking..." I got down on my knee and held out a diamond ring.  
  
"Lizzie, will you marry me?"  
  
***  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
My eyes bulged.  
  
I didn't think. I ran. I ran down the hill and ran to my car and got in my car and drove away. Away and away, the away-est I could get from Gordo. There was no time for thinking, no time for tears. I just ran and got away.  
  
And when I was one fourth of the way home, I started to think. I started to cry.  
  
*Marry* him?  
  
For God' s sake, we had just recently graduated from high school. That wasn't a time to get married. We needed to go to college, pick our careers... there was so much to do before marriage.  
  
And Gordo was supposed to be the responsible one. The reasonable one. The one that made all the right decisions. And this? This was just plain stupid. I mean, he wanted to marry me? This early? Just so we didn't have to go through long-distance? How much dumber could you possibly get?  
  
Anyone could ask a girl to marry him. But it takes a real man with a real brain to ask at the right time. And all my life, I thought Gordo was a real man with a real brain... but how could he do something as foolish as this? Did he actually think I was going to say yes?  
  
This wouldn't solve any problems. It would create them.  
  
I wiped my tears away.  
  
I wondered if his parents knew about this. I wondered if Miranda knew about this. I wondered if he knew how stupid he was being, how many people he was letting down. He was supposed to go to Harvard. He was supposed to be smart. But no, to him I was only a little nobody, a nobody who no one cared about, or even considered to think about. I was just Lizzie nobody, blonde hair, hazel eyes, and an upside-down smile.  
  
I parked my car in the parking lot of the park and ran to a picnic table near the fountain Lucy Carmichael has kissed Gordo. It was where I did all my best thinking. I was as far away from that egocentric, foolish, stupid idiot as I could possibly get. I sat down and started to sob.  
  
Marriage seemed so distant, from when I was just merely five or six, and even now. Marriage seemed like something that would happen in the future. And since it was in the future, I had always been excited. How magical it would be the first time I got asked to be married! It was more like a fairy tale. And after this... after this it didn't seem all that magical anymore. He had shattered every girl's dream.  
  
I shivered although it was nowhere near cold, and whimpered as I closed my eyes and rested my head on the table.  
  
No one's perfect.  
  
I just had thought Gordo was.  
  
***  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
I knocked noisily on the door of the McGuire's, but Lizzie wasn't there.  
  
Oh, why did I have to go and ask her to marry me today? Why not wait a year or two... a dozen? Why had I done this?  
  
'Because of Harvard.' A little voice in my head replied. 'You were a selfish maniac who wanted both your girlfriend and the best college in the world, so you found the easy way out.'  
  
I shook my head as I slowly head back down the driveway. I*had* been self- centered. I hadn't cared about Lizzie at all, and that's not what a good boyfriend did. But forget good boyfriend. I had permanently wrecked our relationship. Or to say the least, done temporary damage.  
  
Where could she be? I had checked the Digital Bean, our childhood playground, her house, Miranda's house, the ice cream place, and still no Lizzie. Where else could-  
  
Then it clicked.  
  
The new park.  
  
It didn't take me long to get there... I think that for the first time in my life, I actually speeded. I had to catch her before she was gone, but knowing my instincts, she was still there, sobbing away, when I arrived.  
  
"I'm sorry, Lizzie." I said, sitting down next to her. "I didn't mean that."  
  
"Then was it some type of joke?" She asked nastily, scooting further away and not even stealing a glance of me. "Because I didn't find it the least bit funny."  
  
"No!" I exclaimed. "That was a real ring." I reached into my pocket and showed her the five diamond gold band once again.  
  
"And what about the feelings, Gordo? Were the feelings real?" She poked her finger into a hole in the wood of the picnic table, still refusing to look at me.  
  
"No.. yes... no." I stumbled, trying to find the right words. "No."  
  
She raised her eyebrows. "Oh, so you thought it was funny."  
  
"No, I thought it was the only solution to this problem."  
  
"Is it?"  
  
I frowned. "No... there are millions of other ways... but it doesn't matter. I've decided that I'm not going."  
  
Her eyes bulged. "And you're doing this because..."  
  
"...of you." I paused to think a minute. "No, wait. That came out wrong. Lizzie, just hear me out, okay? Don't think you're guilty. It's not your fault I'm not going to Harvard. It's just that when it comes down to making a choice, I chose you. You have nothing to do with it. It was strictly my choice."  
  
"But Gordo, you have to go." Lizzie whispered. "I don't care if we break up; I just want you to have the best life possible."  
  
I looked down at my shoes. That always seemed like a perfect place to look when you had to avoid someone's eyes. "Do you remember when I went to the ninth grade before you and Miranda did?"  
  
She smiled, recalling the memory. "Yeah."  
  
"Did you like it when I was gone?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Neither did I."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Then what makes you think I'll be able to live without you, and vice versa?" I asked. "If we couldn't handle different grades, how are we going to handle different states?"  
  
"We're older now, Gordo. We're more mature. I know we can handle it. It's nothing." She bit her lip and put her head on my shoulder. "You're going, no matter what, one hundred percent."  
  
I smiled and stroked her hair. "You think that's a good idea?"  
  
"I know it is."  
  
"So I'm going?"  
  
She grinned. "If you aren't, then I'm going to kill you."  
  
A/N: You like? Dislike? Please... I feel like long reviews at the moment. Please submit a long one, please! This chapter was long, and it took a while to write... but the next chapter is going to be short. Sorry, but it is. And it'll be pretty mopey, too. But anyway... keep checking back for the new chappie! 


	20. You Said You'd Come Back

Chapter Twenty: You Said You'd Come Back  
  
A/N: 4 more, just four more chapters until the best story I've ever written is finished. Wah! =(  
  
Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me... actually my birthday isn't until Thursday, but its okay.. I'll be 12 soon! That is a huge deal for me, since I feel like I've been eleven forever.  
  
There weren't very many reviews for the last chapter. *sniffles* I really wanted people to read that chapter. But that's what happens. People start to lose interest in a story after it's been going on for a long time...  
  
Okay, I have a new story idea. I'm not sure if it's good or not, but that's why you're here! It's going to be called The Love Riot. It's actually based on one of my guy friends' love life, so you could call it true.  
  
It's about when Gordo breaks up with Lizzie, then realizes it's a huge mistake. But he doesn't want her back... well, he kind of does. It's complicated. And then Lizzie starts to go out with Ryan, the guy Miranda used to have a crush on, and Gordo's not happy. So to get back at her, he dates Miranda, who likes him. Miranda gets the wrong impression and thinks he likes her, when he really doesn't. Will he ever get Lizzie back without breaking Miranda's heart?  
  
***  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
"I don't want to go." He whispered as he clutched my hands tightly.  
  
"Yes, you do." I said, tears streaming down my face.  
  
He shook his head, his curls bouncing back and forth. "I can't possibly leave you in this predicament."  
  
"There's no predicament to leave me in." I sighed, wiping my tears away. "I'm a big girl, Gordo, I can take care of myself. I don't need you to survive."  
  
"Maybe not, but I need *you*." He said, shaking.  
  
I smiled through my tears. "You're the older one. Shouldn't you know by now that you don't need me to live?"  
  
He pulled my close into a hug and we said nothing for about five minutes.  
  
It was August, dreaded August, the month neither of us wanted to come. But here it was, the day Gordo left me, and left for Harvard, or as Matt would say, 'the real world'. All on his own. Everyone was there, on his driveway, almost in a line, waiting to say goodbye. Miranda, Matt, Melina, my parents, Miranda's parents, Gordo's parents... they were all thee, chatting away, waiting for us to hurry up. But I couldn't stop talking to him. I couldn't let go.  
  
And, as regular August weather was, it was cloudy, raining a bit, which seemed to drench the mood to an even lower level then before. Rain symbolized sadness, and sadness was what we were indeed experiencing now.  
  
"Promise me." I said, whispering in his ear, tears soaking his shirt. "Promise me that we'll keep in touch."  
  
"I promise." He stopped hugging me and pushed a strand of my hair behind my ear. "I promise I'll email you twice a week, call every other night, send you a letter once ever two weeks, and I'll be on IM a lot. I promise." He took my hand in his.  
  
"Will you come back?" II asked, shivering, although it was not the slightest bit cold. He grinned. "That's such a stupid question, Lizzie. Of course I will. I'll come back on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Summer Vacation, Spring Break... all the time. I'll even come one three day weekends. I promise."  
  
"And what if you don't?" I frowned.  
  
"Trust me, Lizzie, I will." He said as we shared our last kiss for the next three years.  
  
***  
  
I was 21.  
  
I hadn't seen Gordo in almost three years. 35 months. 152 weeks. 1,068 days. I would calculate how many hours, but then people would think I was crazy. But then again, I think I was.  
  
He had broken every single promise.  
  
He said, no, he *promised*, he'd call. Every other day. The only time he had called was his first day there, in Harvard. He called to tell me how great it was, not to tell me how much he missed me. Then after that, there was no call. Endless days I waited by the phone, waiting, waiting, for it to ring.  
  
He promised he'd email. Twice a week. He emailed me, what, for about two weeks? Then the emails started coming less and les... until they didn't come at all. Well, maybe once on my birthday, but that consisted of three words "Happy Birthday Lizzie!', followed by, "Sorry I forgot, but how old are you now?" He had forgotten that we were the same age, that he was only a week older than me? I never replied to those emails.  
  
He promised he'd write. Once a month. Well, the worst part is, he never did. Never did I get a hand-written letter from Gordo. I gave up for that after three months or so. I knew it wasn't coming.  
  
And, last but not least, he said he would visit. Anytime, even on three-day weekends. Did he come? What do you think? No way. Not even once. And I got so mad that I didn't even bother to ask him why.  
  
Had he found someone else, another girlfriend, a smarter one?  
  
Had he liked Harvard so much that he forgot about us in Hillridge?  
  
What was going on?  
  
And the worst part was, I was an adult. I couldn't show my anger.  
  
I lived in my own little apartment, which I kept reasonably clean, all alone. My parents offered to let me stay there, but I refused. They had a new baby when I was 17 (whom I helped out with a lot)... they needed that extra room to raise her.  
  
I was pretty content with my life. I had a part-time job helping out a teacher at Hillridge Elementary, in my little sister's kindergarten class. I still attended classes at HU, and occasionally wrote articles for the local newspaper. I was majoring in journalism. I also had a part-time job down at the mall. I had no money problems. I had car insurance, my rent paid on time, and enough money for food and college and everything. I had a little puppy, whom I named Gordie after you-know-who, but I was thinking of changing the name.  
  
I hung out my friends often. Miranda attended HU, too, and she came over sometimes, and we watched a movie with a few of my new friends. It wasn't the same anymore, but it was okay. Sometimes we would go skiing, or shopping, or something... it was cool.  
  
My life seemed pretty good.  
  
And yet I was so depressed.  
  
I knew it was Gordo's fault, but I didn't want to blame it on him. If I did, then that would've been like admitting my depression. But no, I kept it all bottled up inside of me, and let out steam at the apartment.  
  
On days off, usually Sundays or so, I would flop down on my bed with Gordie and just cry... and think. I would think about Gordo, and how he could be making movies by now, how he could be dating anyone else. And I would think about me. If I should really care about Gordo this much, if I should just forget him and get another boyfriend. I mean, we never officially broke up, but it seemed as if that was what he was trying to imply with the no communication thing.  
  
Occasionally, I would sit by the computer, waiting for him to get on IM, or sit by the phone and wait for his call, or sit in front of the TV, hoping one of his movies (if he made any) would come on. I knew there was going to be nothing. Nothing was going to happen. He would not call me, he would not fax me, he would not page me, he would not email me... the list went on and on.  
  
But he didn't come back.  
  
He didn't intend to.  
  
Until one day...  
  
***  
  
I was sitting in front of my TV, bored to tears. There was nothing to do. Miranda was out to the movies with her latest boyfriend, Rick. And the rest of my friends were busy, too. I had helped the janitor after my hours in school, but eventually I ran out of things to clean. Then I had gone back to the apartment and organized, organized every single thing in my presence. After a few hours, even my underwear was color-coordinated and the spices in the kitchen were arranged according to spiciness. I had even dusted the medicine cabinet.  
  
So that left me with... what? Homework and television. I willingly chose television because I had no idea of what to write for my assignment in class. TV could be inspiring sometimes.  
  
This was not one of those times.  
  
There was absolutely nothing on, which was kind of freaky for a Friday night, but everything interesting was reruns. So I ended up watching the TV Guide Channel, which was not very interesting. Some new movie, so new star... I began to make myself an extravagant salad. It was like what Gordo always said, "If you're bored, you can always eat."  
  
I smacked my forehead. Why did I keep thinking about Gordo?  
  
I added some olives, some mushrooms, and some parmesan cheese while the guy on TV was blabbering on about this movie Stone Heart. Stone Heart. Ha. It sounded like some Native American name. Maybe that's what the movie was about. I don't know. I wasn't paying much attention.  
  
"...And that's all for Stone Heart. But don't worry; we'll be right back after a short break..."  
  
I rolled my eyes. Like we were going to 'worry' that the show wouldn't come back.  
  
I continued to pile up on my salad as they quickly ran through the commercials; a car commercial... some new kind of Toyota, I think, a commercial for another movie, a Glad ware commercial, some new toilet bowl cleaner, and a cingular wireless commercial. The usual.  
  
I was chopping up tomatoes when the show returned. They started talking about another new TV movie, One True Love. My ears perked up a bit, since I had wanted to see this movie for a few weeks, but my eyes were committed to slicing those tomatoes. They were interviewing the director, whatever his name was.  
  
"You are one of the youngest successful directors of our time, isn't that right? Only 21?" A female reporter asked.  
  
"Yeah, but I don't think age really matters. It's the ability to direct, the passion for it that counts." The director replied.  
  
"So what does the name 'One True Love' mean to you?"  
  
"I believe love, or at least, true love, comes only once in a lifetime. And it stays eternal. You can't stop nor arrange true love. It just happens." The director said, and I knitted my eyebrows together as I stopped the tomatoes and switched to cucumbers, still not looking up. That voice sounded a bit familiar... maybe I had met him in LA sometime... I tried to recall where I'd heard the voice before, but nothing came to me.  
  
"Do you have found your one true love yet?" The reporter asked, raising an .  
  
I smiled to myself. This woman was nosy. Sniffing around in a director's love life... I could see why she worked for the media.  
  
"Yes, I think I have."  
  
"May I be so impolite as to ask of this lucky woman's name?" The lady said.  
  
"Lizzie." He said. "Lizzie McGuire."  
  
I dropped the knife onto the floor, nearly cutting my foot.  
  
Had he said McGuire? Lizzie McGuire? Lizzie, me, McGuire? Me? There must be another Lizzie McGuire... who... what... Who was this guy, and why did he say I was his true love?  
  
I ran to the couch and sat down, willing to hear more.  
  
"Well, Mr. Gordon, I bet this Lizzie McGuire feels very fortunate today. She must be a wonderful woman, especially to be your true love." The lady grinned, showing off her toothpaste-commercial teeth.  
  
My eyes bulged.  
  
She had said Mr. Gordon.  
  
Like, Gordon.  
  
As in David Gordon.  
  
Gordo.  
  
Gordo was on TV.  
  
Being interviewed.  
  
And he said I was his one true love.  
  
After all these years, Gordo still loved me.  
  
The pieces started to come together as one, and the information started to soak in. He was famous now. He had achieved his dream. Yet he was still going to college at Harvard. He hadn't given that up yet.  
  
He still loved me.  
  
"So I hear the producer of this film is..." The lady started babbling on and on about stupid things, and I wasn't listening. I just couldn't take my eyes off of Gordo.  
  
He looked the same. The hair, the smile, the eyes... expect for he had been camera-ized. The makeup, the powder, the hair curler... it had made no difference. Gordo looked the same. But *he*, he himself, his personality... that wasn't the same.  
  
And neither was I.  
  
That promise-breaker still loved me.  
  
But now, I wasn't sure if I loved him back. 


	21. When You Wish Upon A Star

Chapter Twenty-One: When You Wish Upon a Star  
  
A/N: Hey! I'm so glad to be writing again. Thank god I'm done with a few of my projects. They were seriously weighing me down. We went to Atlanta, Georgia for spring break, and as soon as I got back, I'm like, I hafta write! I finished this chappie a long time ago, but I got grounded from the internet so I couldn't post. (The next chappie is going to be really short so please enjoy this long one! ^_~) I know what you're thinking, me, grounded? Yes, I'm sorry to say it does occasionally happen. LOL  
  
Oh, and I started my fifth original story. It's called Dakota Sunshine. Much better title, compared to my other four: Eight Little Look-Alikes, Totally White Xmas, The Mystery of the Sorry Screamer and The OMC Detective Agency. And plus, this story is based on my real thinking, so it so easy and fun to write. I designed the cover, too! It looks awesome! If anyone wants a sample, just review with your email address! I'd love to hear your input! ^_^  
  
By the way, I dislocated my knee. It hurt for weeks... I couldn't bend it or anything... good thing it wasn't bad because this is the first time I had actually twisted/ sprained/ fractured/ broken/ dislocated anything in my entire life. Surprising, since I am a Grade-A klutz. But whatever...  
  
***  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
It started with a phone call one day.  
  
It was a few months after the TV incident. After that, it was all Gordo. TV, radio, newspaper, internet, all of it, everything, was advertising either Gordo's movies or Gordo himself. I read in a magazine once;  
  
David Gordon is the new hunk in town. He's smart, he's cool, and only TWENTY THREE. A complete hottie. He has girls all over him...  
  
I frowned while reading that. It was a little disturbing. A.) He was twenty- one, not twenty three. B.) Hottie? Never had I thought that others besides myself would use the word "hottie" to describe Gordo. And "girls all over him"? Did the media world not know of me, his lowly kind-of-unofficial-ex? Did he really have girls all over him? Did he have a girlfriend?  
  
There was so much I didn't know about him.  
  
Was this the same Gordo I had known all my life? The same Gordo who taught me to love... who taught me that you're never too young to fall in love... who taught me that love doesn't always consist of sex... he had taught me to live. He was a part of me. And now, he was just... different. The apple of every girl's eye. Whatever happened to Gordo, my one and only... no one else was supposed to be drooling over him. He was mine, all mine!  
  
And I was supposedly mad at him.  
  
So, back to the phone call. It was a Thursday afternoon and I was trying to finish up a math assignment for class while trying to treadmill at the same time. (Trust me, that does not work very well.) I was about to finish a problem and then my cellphone started to ring.  
  
I stopped the treadmill, a bit upset that my workout was interrupted.  
  
"Hello?" I said, panting.  
  
"Lizzie?" Someone asked.  
  
I knew I had heard the voice before, but couldn't put my finger on it. It was at the tip of my tongue, waiting to come out, but didn't make its way to my brain.  
  
Then my eyes bulged.  
  
This someone sounded an awful lot like....  
  
"Gordo?" I gasped.  
  
***  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
I was about to hang up. What was I doing, calling her? Not that I didn't want to. I wanted to. I just couldn't... be calm. Chill. And after three years, I was a little out of practice.  
  
"Yeah." I said, cringing, hoping she didn't think I was a total dweeb.  
  
"Why—why did you call... me...?" She said, a bit awkwardly.  
  
"Um..." I tried to search for a reason. "Can't a guy call his girlfriend for the heck of it?"  
  
'Good cover.' I silently congratulated myself.  
  
"You haven't for the last three years." She said frostily.  
  
My eyes widened. Why was she being so nasty? I had been very busy over the last few years, and surely I had contacted her, but she'd never write back. It wasn't my fault I couldn't visit because of summer classes and a movie or two. I had tried to come back one Christmas, but my flight was delayed and by the time I could actually go, it was past Christmas Day so I went back.  
  
"I apologize for that." I said quietly, genuinely sorry. "But I have good news."  
  
"What?" She said in the same bored, cold, tone.  
  
"I'm coming back. The day after tomorrow." I closed my eyes and waited for her to squeal or laugh or giggle like she always did. One expression, one sign that she was happy just brightened my day by a million shades.  
  
She giggled. "Really?"  
  
I sighed happily. "Yes."  
  
She shrieked. "Oh, my god!"  
  
"Now have you changed...? Because I'm going to need to find you at the airport." I smiled.  
  
She giggled. "I don't think so—I look the same... just a little... different." She tried to sort out her words.  
  
"Different how?"  
  
"I died my hair green and bleached my skin blue and got my tongue pierced."  
  
"No, really."  
  
"I'm a little taller... my hair's a little longer... I'm a little tanner... maybe skinnier but I doubt that diet worked." She took a breath. "Still the same, basically."  
  
"My beautiful Lizzie." I said dreamily. "I love you."  
  
"How about you?" She asked. "I mean, even though I've seen pictures of you practically everywhere... any advancements?"  
  
"The hair's a little—"  
  
"You didn't get it straightened, did you? Because if you did, then I'll... I don't know... I'll commit suicide. You're hair is so perfect, and in the latest magazine it was still frizz."  
  
"No, I didn't get it straightened. But I did trim it a bit."  
  
She sighed in relief. "Good. You can't lose your fro."  
  
"It's not a fro, my hair is naturally curly!" I protested.  
  
"Whatever."  
  
***  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
The next day, I was screaming in my pillow.  
  
Why oh why had I been so nice to Gordo? Why had I giggled, laughed, and talked to him in any other way that didn't consist of being cold? Now he was going to think I forgave him for abandoning me. When I didn't.  
  
It had come instinctively. I hadn't thought, just talked. I was so used to it.  
  
But it was a bit nice to hear his voice in person.  
  
Better than nice.  
  
"My beautiful Lizzie." He had said, followed by the three wonderful words "I love you."  
  
I smiled dreamily. Once I realized what I was doing, I quickly wiped the grin off my face and continued screaming into the pillow. I heard the door open and close.  
  
"What's up with the screaming?" Miranda asked, without a hey or hi.  
  
I mumbled something grumpily and sat up.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Gordo's coming."  
  
She raised her eyebrow. "Coming? Coming where?"  
  
"Here."  
  
Her eyes widened. "Really?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Then why the sad face?" She said, untying her shoe laces. "Every girl in the world is dying to speak to him, and he's your *boyfriend*."  
  
That was a good point.  
  
"But I can't help but be mad!" I whispered. "He *did* abandon me."  
  
"And that was what, like four years ago?"  
  
Another point for Miranda.  
  
"But, Miranda... he... he... I don't love him anymore." I admitted, not sure if this statement was entirely true or not.  
  
She blinked at me. "Are you insane? You've known him ever since you were born! You dated him for four years! All those times you came home from some date, you would scream your head off and ramble on and on about how wonderful Gordo was and how much you loved him... you got me jealous! And you say, after he made ONE stupid mistake in his ENTIRE life, that you don't love him?"  
  
"I—"  
  
"Have you realized that he still loves you, after the numerous times you've made mistakes? You haven't shown up for dates, you kissed other guys, you believed Lucy Carmichael that one time... after all these sins, he still loves you to death. And he just broke a few promises, his first mistake ever, which I bet you he has a very good reason for, and you say you don't love him!?"  
  
"I don't know." I looked at the ground, examining my feet. "I don't know."  
  
***  
  
I sat in the waiting room of the airport, waiting for Gordo to arrive. I had a whole night to think about it, and I realized that I still didn't know if I loved him or not. It all depended on this trip. He better have a good impression. But still, I was going to be a nice hostess and at least pretend that I loved him even if I found out I didn't. I didn't wan to break his heart. Not now, anyway, when he was flying from LA or Harvard or wherever just to see me.  
  
I started to chew on my fingernails. He was a director. Not just a director, but a famous one. How was I supposed to act in front of him? I tried to remind myself that he was just the same Gordo he had always been, but still I chewed all the nails on my left hand off.  
  
I tried to recall the fun times we had, in Rome, in tenth grade... post- Alex... and yet my knees wouldn't settle down. I tried deep cleansing breaths, and that helped a little... for about five or six seconds. Then I started fidgeting again, losing every game on my cellphone. I was a nervous wreck.  
  
At one point the elderly woman that was sitting daintily in the seat next to me spoke. "Who are you waiting for?" She asked sweetly.  
  
"Um, my boyfriend." I smiled at her.  
  
She smiled back. "Lucky boy, he gets someone as beautiful as you."  
  
"He's not so lucky." I said, and then regret to saying it right away.  
  
"Really?" She raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"  
  
I cocked my head at her. Why, she had no clue of what my name was, and yet she was questioning me about my love life like I was her own granddaughter. Not that I minded... it was kind of awkward, that's all.  
  
"Do you know of the director David Gordon?" I asked, wondering if this would be considered being overly vain.  
  
"Why, of course!" She exclaimed. "He has the most charming movies."  
  
"He... he's my boyfriend." I smiled to myself, knowing that yes, this was a form of bragging.  
  
Her eyes widened, which I didn't know an old lady's could. "That's amazing!"  
  
"But don't tell anyone." I whispered. "He hates it when there's a swarm of fans ready to mob him."  
  
She smiled and winked at me, and I settled back into my chair, much more confident now.  
  
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.  
  
***  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
I sighed in happiness.  
  
Could life possible get any better than this? I mean, here I was, only twenty-one, and already I had managed to make my biggest dreams come true, and was on my way to see the love of my life. And I had a Diet Vanilla Coke in my hand.  
  
Life was at its peak point for me.  
  
I hadn't been sure; actually I was a nervous wreck, when I left Lizzie for college four years ago. I had thought, 'Oh god, this distance is sure to cause problems.' But it didn't. It had been four years, and we hadn't broken up. To me, this was so miraculous, because life had changed so rapidly, and it seemed as if everything was different. And yet our relationship still remained.  
  
It was amazing, being a director and all. People came screaming up to me all the time, demanding for my autograph. Girls melted over me; guys idolized (or envied...) me. And the best part? I got paid to do what I've always wanted to do. I was so fortunate, since a lot of people hate their job and do it for the sake of living. I think I live for the sake of doing my job.  
  
And Lizzie, of course.  
  
I started to wonder if she still preferred Lizzie, or if it was "Elizabeth" now. Sure Elizabeth sounded more adult, but Lizzie... it was special. I had called her Lizzie since I was born. It had a ring to it... "Lizzie, come here," or "Lizzie, don't leave," or "Lizzie, I love you."  
  
I especially liked that one.  
  
I couldn't wait to say it to her face, just "Lizzie, I love you," over and over again. I would hug her tight and kiss her and make her laugh, repeating those four simple words over and over. I was so glad she hadn't changed; I liked my Lizzie the way she was. And thank god fame and fortune hadn't changed me, either, because Lizzie wanted me 100% the way I left her.  
  
I was thinking about how I had changed in the past few years when the plane landed gracefully onto the runway. The pilot instructed us when and when not to unfasten our seatbelts, and before I knew it, I was entering the LA airport.  
  
I skimmed the bustling crowd eagerly for any sign of Lizzie, or even anyone resembling Lizzie, but nothing came into sight. I frowned and struggled to move on, and before I had stepped even a yard, someone shouted, "It's David Gordon!" and soon I had a long line trailing all the way to Baggage Claim of people, all demanding my autograph. I gritted my teeth as I signed every last person's arm or leg or DVD cover. They were holding me up! Why wasn't Lizzie here yet?  
  
And then, just as I was finishing up the last few people about ten minutes later, I saw her.  
  
She stared at me, and I turned my head. Our eyes locked. I dropped the pen I was using and started to walk towards her, partially paralyzed. She was beautiful. Drop-dead gorgeous. Even in jeans and a t-shirt, she was the most stunning thing I had ever seen. "Lizzie." I said, blinking to make sure this was real.  
  
She smiled timidly.  
  
"Oh, Lizzie." I ran toward her and embraced her in a gigantic bear hug. I hate to admit it, but I had tears in my eyes. It was just so blissful! I kissed her cheek and got a whiff of her hair as I buried my head into her shoulder. "I missed you so much." I mumbled.  
  
I let myself stop hugging her and looked her straight in the eye. She looked... befuddled. Her beautiful eyes were clouded over in a storm of confusion and sadness... but I did see a trace of joy in there, too. I bet she just needed some time to get used to this.  
  
I enclosed my arms around her waist and we just stood there for a few seconds, looking at each other, and after a while, I couldn't take it anymore. I kissed her. I kissed her with all my might, pulling her closer and closer each millisecond. And the weird thing is, I didn't even pay attention to if she kissed back. I just kept on kissing her and kissing her, until I ran out of breath.  
  
God, I had missed this. This was what I had been missing in my almost- perfect life. Lizzie. Kissing Lizzie. Being with Lizzie.  
  
Finally, when I drew back from her face, she smiled faintly and turned bright pink and started walking.  
  
"Lizzie... where are you going?" I asked, dragging my carry-on duffel bag. "Aren't you driving me home?"  
  
She ran out of the airport and straight to her car. She opened the door and got in, and I did so behind her.  
  
"What's wrong?" I asked her as she violently turned on the car. "Are you mad?"  
  
She shook her head, and I swore I could see some tears welling up in her eyes.  
  
We didn't speak the whole ride home. And when we finally got to my old house (my parents' house now), she motioned for me to get out. I obeyed without protesting. After I had gotten out, she drove away with out another word.  
  
It suddenly occurred to me that she hadn't even said a word to me yet.  
  
And she hadn't kissed me back.  
  
***  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
"I will not cry." I said out loud, taking a deep breath. "Not over a guy."  
  
I was at the top of Gemstone Hill in Ocean Spray Park. Recently, I had spent hours here, studying or thinking, whenever I needed some alone time. I loved that hill since you could see over the whole park from there, not to mention bits and pieces of downtown Hillridge.  
  
And I had been there for almost an hour, trying to calm myself down.  
  
Yes, Gordo was the same. The face, the hair, the body structure... it was basically all the same. And the hug was the same. And the kiss... although it was a very passionate, very magical kiss... it was kind of the same. But if everything was the same, why did things feel so different?  
  
And when I had seen him, I had forgotten all about the promises. It was just me and him, nothing else. But when he kissed me... when he kissed me it all came flooding back. And then all I could think was that Gordo was dirty, lying, promise-breaker. And when he had asked me, "Are you mad?" I had said no. And that was the truth. I wasn't mad, not exactly... I just didn't love him anymore. Well, maybe I did, but not as much...  
  
Was it completely necessary to identify your emotions?  
  
I stared at the bright blue sky and soaking it all in, visualizing the clouds as little pictures; something I had always loved to do. I found it comforting, and whenever I felt like crying, it cheered me up. Now it didn't have the full effect, but I could feel myself beginning to cool off.  
  
Did I love him or not?  
  
No.  
  
Yes.  
  
No.  
  
Yes.  
  
No.  
  
Yes.  
  
No—  
  
"Hey."  
  
I jumped in alarm. I stood up and turned around.  
  
It was Gordo.  
  
"Look, Lizzie, could you just please tell me what's going on?" He pleaded.  
  
"No." I declared, and poignantly marched down the hill.  
  
***  
  
Three days later, things weren't much better. Gordo had stopped trying to contact me. He knew there was no hope in trying because I was stubborn, as I had always been. And I wasn't very happy either. I had half looked forward to this trip of Gordo's, and now it was almost half over.  
  
I sat by the phone, reluctantly picking up and slamming the receiver every time it rang. I kind of wanted to talk, but then again... I was still contemplating what I was feeling here. How on earth could I explain this to Gordo if I couldn't explain it to myself? Half in love, half in hate, was this denial? Depression? Sorrowness? I had no idea.  
  
But after a few more hours of nearly smashing the phone, I got in my car and started driving. Gordo's house. I had noticed that whenever we were in a fight, he was always the one that came to me and talked. Never had I gone to him. Well, now I was changing the tradition.  
  
I was going to talk.  
  
I walked slowly up the Gordon's driveway. Was this really a good idea? What if after all this childish rivalry, Gordo was mad? What if he didn't want to talk? What if he hated me now?  
  
I knocked on the door and it swung open almost before I finished knocking.  
  
"Oh, hello, Lizzie!" Mrs. Gordon greeted me. "David just got home from the beach. He's upstairs."  
  
I smiled and quickly said thanks as I hiked up the stairs. Mmmm, it smelled good up here. What was it, cinnamon? No, mint. Licorice? Definitely not cologne. No... something more natural. More... environmentally scented. Like pine trees or something.  
  
I mentally smacked myself to be thinking about smells at a time like this.  
  
I walked into his room.  
  
"So, what exactly did you do at the beach alone?" I called, hoping for an answer.  
  
Just then, the door opened and in came Gordo, all wrapped up in his white DG monogrammed robe, probably just getting back from a shower.  
  
"Um, Lizzie..." He said, majorly blushing.  
  
"Uh... we can talk—after you get dressed." I said a little unstably as I let myself out of the room.  
  
I mentally giggled as he closed the door. He looked kind of cute in that robe. I had never thought of Gordo as a robe person... more of a towel around the waist kind of guy. But I guess fame changed him. But his hair... awww! It was all messed up and flattened from the water, no longer springy and bouncy as it usually was.  
  
I daydreamed for about five minutes, and then the door opened to reveal a fully-clothed Gordo. Thank god.  
  
I walked in and sat down on his bed as he followed. "So..."  
  
"So what?" He said, still blushing.  
  
"Um..."  
  
"Why are you here?" He asked desolately.  
  
"We—well... partially to apologize."  
  
His left eyebrow went up. "Partially?"  
  
"And to tell you how I feel."  
  
His face softened. "How do you feel?"  
  
"I feel... maybe... I think I don't love you anymore."  
  
He lowered his head. "Oh."  
  
I could've rolled my eyes right then and there. This was definitely not an 'oh' situation. This was more of a 'Why is that? I love you so much.' situation. Not an 'oh' one. What was so 'oh' about this? Didn't he care? Ugh, guys could be so annoying sometimes!  
  
"What I mean is that maybe I don't love you as much." I said, touching his shoulder.  
  
"Why?" He whispered. "What did I do?"  
  
"Well—"  
  
"Is there someone else?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then what?"  
  
"You promised." I said, sniffing in a tear.  
  
"Promised... what?"  
  
"You promised you'd keep in touch." I whispered so softly I could barely hear myself. "You promised that you would come back on all the holidays and even three day weekends. You promised you'd email me twice a week, call every other night, send me a letter once every two weeks, and be on IM a LOT.  
  
"Your promised." I said, a tear slowly finding its way down my cheek.  
  
"I did?" He asked helplessly.  
  
"Yes. I remember that day so clearly. It was the day you left for college. And after you promised everything, I asked you what if you don't, and you know what you said!?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Trust me, I will."  
  
He lowered his head. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Well, I don't care about sorry, Gordo!" I exclaimed, tears shedding in sheets. "I wanna know why you didn't contact me for all those years... not even once."  
  
"I—I don't know." He gulped. "I got so busy with my career that I forgot about what was the most important thing to me... you. I know it's a lousy response, but that's what happened, and I don't blame you if you never forgive me. But I do want you to know, I'm sorry."  
  
"Gordo—"  
  
"Wait. Let me talk." He took a deep breath. "I know I haven't been the ideal boyfriend the past several years. I know. I wanted to be... you know how I always said you should be happy to be who you are? Well, I was being completely hypocritical. All that time I wanted to be a jock, to dedicate touchdowns and goals and baskets to you, to prance around in a leather jock jacket, to put it around your arms and see you smile. I wanted to be like Ethan. And it surprised me that even though I wasn't a jock, you still liked me. But I'm still sorry. I'm sorry I never kept your out until one o'clock, dancing at a concert. I'm sorry I wasn't Mr. Make-out King. I'm sorry I was the 'safe guy', the 'parentally approved boyfriend.' I wanted to be wild, Lizzie... I just didn't know how."  
  
I raised an eyebrow. "Gordo... I never wanted you to be wild. I love you the way you are. And I happen to *like* parentally approved."  
  
He was silent.  
  
"And I hate to tell you this, but *I'm* the one that came here to apologize. Not you." I smiled. "Look, I'm sorry I completely ignored you for the past couple days and the way I acted at the airport. It made no sense to do that, and I really want to make it up to you."  
  
"No need to do that." Gordo said. "You just told me you like me the way I am. I don't need anything else."  
  
"Oh, yes you do." I said, scooting closer to him. "This is for the kiss I didn't kiss back in."  
  
I put my hand on his cheek and kissed him passionately. I licked his lips, urging him to kiss back and he did. We kissed for probably a full ten minutes. When I finally felt like I was going to collapse, I pulled back and grinned.  
  
"Where'd you learn to kiss like that?" I asked. "Hopefully not practice?"  
  
"I direct romance films, Lizzie." He pointed out. "Do that math."  
  
I giggled. "But you're so good at it!"  
  
He smiled. "I know."  
  
After that, there was a long silence.  
  
"Gordo?" I finally said.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I think I love you again." I said. "More than ever."  
  
He looked at me eagerly. "Really?"  
  
"Would I lie to you?"  
  
He beamed.  
  
"Come on, let's go somewhere, Gordo. We've only got four days to catch up on four years!"  
  
A/N: Kind of corny... oh well. I like this chappie. It's good. Lots of L/G. Review please! Gosh it's late. Ciao!  
  
xoxo,  
  
PersonY2K ~_~ 


	22. One Perfect Starry Night

Chapter Twenty-Two: One Perfect Starry Night  
  
A/N: Eeek!! I messed up big time... uploaded the same chappie again! Whoopsies... it's all better now.  
  
I thought long and hard about the title for this chapter, but couldn't really find a good one. So it's okay, I guess, but doesn't really fit the chapter... oh well. It turned out longer than I thought. That's good.  
  
I started soccer again! Back with Simp and Teddy! And Midget... it won't be the same as Meg. Oh well. I still am in a good mood... although I feel as if this chapter is going to be somewhat cheesy.  
  
Ha-ha my teacher pointed out a few days ago, while grading my autobiography chapters, that I use the word 'got' a LOT. I never really noticed that. Got could mean earned, found, collected, received, became, obtained, accepted, acquired, and a whole variety of words. I'm gonna make sure I don't use that too much now.  
  
Well... this chapter is dedicated to my ex best friend Courtney. Ever since she switched schools, she's been completely bratty, but I'd like to thank her for the great friendship we had before. HH rocks, BGMS stinks! Oh, and this is also dedicated to Zach (Laurel's bro). Even though he's *fifteen* now, I still think he's a great friend and has really helped me through things. And Mr. Lyle... the science teacher who's the only one who ever gets my "hypothesis". And a few more people, Christa, Dina (I do feel sorry for you) and someone kind of special to me... you know who you are. ^_^  
  
***  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
I turned the knob. Open, as she said it always was. Good thing to, or else I'd probably camp out in my car for the next few days, waiting for the right moment to get her attention.  
  
It was the day after my twenty-sixth birthday, June 13th. Starting to get to that age when people kind of forget how old they are, and don't really care, or lie about their age and do care. But me, I said twenty-five. Flat out. I wondered what she said. She was never much of a liar. She was really very innocent. You could tell that by looking into her eyes. There was a glimmer in there, always a "who me?" innocence going on.  
  
I tip toed through the apartment, praying I hadn't made any loud noises because Miranda was a light sleeper. Lizzie, on the other hand, could sleep through World War III and the next ice age and still not wake up. I made all the right turns until I finally reached her room.  
  
Man, she really did look like an angel sleeping.  
  
I didn't want to wake her but didn't want to wait any longer either. This surprise visit business was starting to get very annoying. Couldn't I have just called her and said, "Hey, Lizzie, I'm coming to see you again."?  
  
I shrugged mentally and kneeled down beside her bed. I licked my lips and slowly, carefully, gave her a little kiss. She groaned and tossed over.  
  
Okay, so that didn't work.  
  
I tried a different approach.  
  
"GET UP!" I yelled in her ear.  
  
She shuddered and then slowly rose. "Gordo?" She said, semi-consciously. Then she blinked.  
  
"GORDO!"  
  
She threw her arms around me.  
  
I grinned as I embraced her back and pat her hair gently. Four and a half years without one of these heartwarming hugs, without Lizzie always by my side. I had called. I had emailed. I had even sent a few letters. But nothing was the same as having her right there, in my arms, with tears of joy trickling down her face.  
  
"What are you doing here!?" She exclaimed. "I haven't seen you for years!"  
  
"I came to see you." I grinned.  
  
Lizzie kissed me lightly on the cheek and crawled out of her bed. "I gotta go get dressed!" She squealed. "I have to take you to the mall. You will not believe how it's changed. Oh—and the beach! They have a water park there now. And we have to go miniature golfing—for old time's sake."  
  
I smiled.  
  
So far, so good.  
  
***  
  
Lizzie had dragged me everywhere in town, everyplace that had changed since my last visit, even if it was a new pot of marigolds on the porch of the pet shop. And she talked endlessly, about what she had done and how much she missed me. I didn't mind, not at all, as long as I spent time with her, but after five hours of this, I became kind of tired. Thank god she took me to Ocean Spray Park to relax during a late lunch.  
  
"Mmmm... we have watermelon, sandwiches, donuts, Doritos, and of course..." She grinned as she pulled out a bag of french-fries. "Your curly fries."  
  
I nodded as she spread a tablecloth on a picnic table. Although I had gotten much older, I had never lost my taste for curly fries.  
  
"Oh, and Gordo, I didn't get drinks, but there's a water fountain over there." She pointed. "That's another thing they added while you were gone."  
  
I nodded again. I seemed to be doing that a lot today.  
  
"You know what?" She asked, not really listening for an answer as she sat down to eat. "They added a snack machine, too, so if you want, like, Funyons or something..."  
  
"Lizzie, do you ever shut up?" I looked at her thoughtfully.  
  
"What, you prefer Cheetos?" She looked puzzled.  
  
I bust out laughing. "Have—have you realized that... all you've done all day is" I paused a moment to catch my breath. "talk?"  
  
She closed her eyes. "Oh my god, I'm not being a control freak, am I?" She whispered.  
  
I shook my head. "Lizzie McGuire, you are probably the most hyper woman I have ever met."  
  
She giggled and raised her eyebrows as she bit into her sandwich. "So now I'm a "woman"? No longer a "girl"? But aren't only little girls hyper? Or are "women" hyper too?"  
  
"That's not what I meant!" I protested.  
  
"I know."  
  
We ate in silence until Lizzie finally asked.  
  
"Why are you here?"  
  
I froze. Well, I was there for a reason, but that reason was not something Lizzie should've necessarily known about. If she had known... I didn't know what I would do. I'd be humiliated. What was a good excuse? I couldn't take it anymore being so far away from her? I was shooting a movie around there? I was visiting my parents?  
  
"I missed you."  
  
She blinked. "Really?"  
  
I forced my head to shake up and down, furious that I had lied to Lizzie. Well, not really *lied*, but left out a few details...  
  
She scooted closer to me and put her head on my shoulder. "I love you."  
  
I closed my eyes in guilt. I hated this. I couldn't bear it anymore. I had to tell her. I *had* to. I had lied to Lizzie very few times in my life, and they were probably harmless white lies. But this was huge. The guilt was building up inside me, bubbling like a soda bottle being shaken over and over again until the cork finally popped off and the soda flowing out of it, the truth.  
  
But hey, I wasn't really lying.  
  
"Come on, Gordo, you're supposed to kiss me." Lizzie said, scooting so close she was almost on top of me. "All these years have really put a dent in your romantic-ness."  
  
I smiled halfheartedly and kissed her gently.  
  
"Oh, come on!" She scoffed. "That was like kissing my brother."  
  
I scrunched up my eyes. How dare she call me a bad kisser!  
  
I touched her cheek and kissed her harder this time.  
  
"You can't do any better?" She pouted, making puppy-dog eyes at me. "Chicken..."  
  
My mouth dropped open and I kissed her passionately, putting all the power I had into it.  
  
She shrugged sadly. "No sparks. I think you've lost your touch, Gordo."  
  
I kissed harder.  
  
She shook her head.  
  
And harder.  
  
She made a face.  
  
And harder.  
  
She frowned.  
  
Soon, I was kissing her like who-knows-what, and then finally she pushed me away, laughing like crazy.  
  
"I can't believe you fell for that!" She giggled.  
  
"For what?" I tried to catch my breath a Lizzie exploded. God, that last one had required a lot of air.  
  
"Gordo, I never though you kissed like my brother."  
  
Then it struck me.  
  
I punched her in the shoulder as I blushed madly, embarrassed at what I had fallen for. "You're mean."  
  
"I know. That's why you love me."  
  
***  
  
I paced my hotel floor the next morning.  
  
When should I tell her? Afternoon? Night? Morning? On a date? On the phone? Today? Tomorrow? Next week? Should I be quick and blunt? Or should I break it to her slowly? Formal? Casual?  
  
I felt like a teenage girl preparing her clothes and accessories for a prom when her biggest problem is getting a date. Only a little more apprehensive. And tense. And stressed. I was fidgeting endlessly.  
  
I had to say this to her, even if she slapped me or started crying or whatever. I didn't care. She had to know. But still, I had to think...it wasn't fair. Why couldn't she have this problem? It was always me. Always the guy, the low-key boyfriend.  
  
The Fourth of July was coming up. Maybe I could tell her during the fireworks. Then if she didn't hear me, it wasn't my fault. At least I tried to tell her, you know...  
  
I slammed my head against the wall.  
  
'Stupid Gordo. You want her to hear you.' I grumbled in disgust of myself. 'Right?'  
  
Fortunately, I didn't have to answer that. My cellphone rang.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Dave, it's Clay. Universal just thought of a brilliant plot and they're offering it to us. Budget's 28." My manager/agent/consultant Clayton Warren said, sounding excited.  
  
"When do you need me?" I asked, knowing that Clayton had already told Universal yes about the movie. He did that a lot.  
  
"Well, as soon as possible. No later than Wednesday evening, I'd say."  
  
"Wednesday!?" My eyes bulged. "Clay, it's Monday!"  
  
"Where are you, anyway?"  
  
"Hillridge. I've have some very important news to break to someone." I said, making it sound like it was a business thing.  
  
"Elizabeth, huh?"  
  
He knew me too well.  
  
I sighed.  
  
"Well, hurry up... but good luck."  
  
"Yeah, I need it."  
  
I turned off my cellphone and flopped onto my bed.  
  
43 hours and counting.  
  
***  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
"...and it feels like he's hiding something. Every time I asked him why he was here, he gave some lame excuse like he missed me or something. I know I should trust him by now, but I think that maybe he's with someone else." I explained to Miranda as I painted a messy picture.  
  
It was all true. It seemed as if Gordo was not telling me something really important. But then again, Gordo could be mysterious at times. And he *did* like to use pick-up lines. So maybe he was being normal... for him. Not the same as he was before, but the same as he was as a famous director. Only I didn't know that "David Gordon"; I was too hung up on the old Gordo.  
  
That did not make any sense whatsoever.  
  
Gordo hadn't changed. He was the same. It was me. Ever since that one misunderstanding between me and him, I had become a little keener, a little more attentive to the world around me. Paranoid, kind of. Everything even the least bit mysterious seemed as if it was a huge crime. So maybe this was my imagination working overtime, or maybe Gordo really had a secret.  
  
I hoped I was wrong.  
  
"No. He can't be." Miranda said, screwing the cap of pink nail polish back onto the bottle. "He loves you more than God himself."  
  
"How do we know that, Miranda!?" I exclaimed, splashing more paint onto the canvas. "Lots of guys are really good con-artists. They can trick a girl into believing that so easily! And you're gonna say this is different, but it might not be! That's what every girl thinks before she gets pregnant and the guy runs off."  
  
Miranda's mouth dropped. "Are you accusing Gordo of tricking you?"  
  
I stopped to think. No, not accusing. Just suspecting. It could be true... so I had to be aware at all times. Anything was possible. And this would definitely be an excellent explanation of why he was acing so weird.  
  
"No... I'm just... considering all the possibilities." I said, frowning at the way I had worded that.  
  
"You've known him since you were born! Are you saying that he's been scamming against you ever since then?" She asked. "Look, he loved you like his own sister, and now he loves you as a girlfriend. He's not a bad person. He's completely innocent!"  
  
I shrugged. It *was* pretty hard to imagine Gordo as a jerk. But I was just making sure. Better safe than sorry.  
  
"I do love him." I admitted timidly, stroking a black line carefully with the brush. "A lot."  
  
"Have you ever thought of marriage?" She suddenly asked. "With Gordo, I mean." I thought about it for a second. "Well, I've thought about it... but I haven't really... given it much thought, you know? It would be kind of nice... and I've always wanted to get married around this age... and... I don't know."  
  
"Well, do you love him enough to marry him?"  
  
I pondered over that for a while, and finally responded. "Maybe."  
  
"He can't possibly be using you." She announced. "Not if you're thinking about marriage."  
  
"Just because I am doesn't mean he is."  
  
"Doesn't mean he's *not*." Miranda pointed out. "And anyway, this is *Gordo* we're talking about. Own very own Gordo. He wouldn't do something like that."  
  
"I guess."  
  
***  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
I sat in my pajamas (although it was only seven) as I typed a new idea for a screenplay. Usually I didn't write screenplays, I had someone else do them, but once in a while I would write something. I seemed to write best under stress, surprisingly. But the weird thing was that the story never had to relate to what I was so strained about. This time the story was a comedy film, the complete opposite of what I felt like right then.  
  
I needed coffee.  
  
I ordered some from room service and sat down to think. Not necessarily about the screenplay, but about telling Lizzie. I didn't have to think much before I grabbed my cellphone and punched in Lizzie's number.  
  
"Hello?" It was Miranda.  
  
"Hey, it's Gordo... I need to talk to..."  
  
Miranda giggled. "We were just talking about you. Here, I'll give it to Lizzie." I heard a few muffled sounds, and then Lizzie was on the phone.  
  
"Hi." She said, almost bashfully.  
  
"Look, I really need to talk to you." I said, taking a deep breath.  
  
"Oh." She whispered, and I could almost see her face turning pale and all the blood draining from her face with panic and despair. What was so scary about this? "Is it bad?"  
  
"No." I assured her. "But... just... meet me at Gemstone Hill, please? As soon as you can?"  
  
"Well... okay."  
  
I hung up the phone and started what my mother called 'male grooming'. I took a shower, shaved, combed my hair, brushed my teeth, put some cologne on, and so forth. I had to look pretty good for this. I thought about slicking my hair back, but realized that was going a little too far.  
  
My teeth chattered as I drove to the park. Would anyone believe that? Me, David Gordon, big-shot director, a teeth-chattering, knee-knocking, scared- to-death, knuckle-cracking loser? No one would believe it. But really, just the name Lizzie sent chills down my spine and a gulp down my throat.  
  
I parked my car and started walking, surprised that the ten-minute-drive seemed to take only seconds. Left, right, straight, around the corner, and there it was... Gemstone Hill. I didn't see anyone up there and decided that could be a good thing. Being punctual... it gave me more time to be prepared. I hiked up the hill, making sure all that was left in my head were positive thoughts, only positive thoughts.  
  
POSITIVE.  
  
I waited for about five minutes to catch my breath and gather myself together. Then as if on cue, Lizzie approached in a beautifully sewn sundress that streamed all the way down to the ground, trailing behind her. She looked so... majestic, with her hoop earrings and the salt-sprinkled sky with stars twinkling like little Christmas lights brightening it up. Behind her, I noticed, was a meadow of flowers, all exposed to the moonlight, soaking the light all in. One of the flowers was tucked behind her ear where all of her hair flowed down her shoulders.  
  
Okay, so maybe she was in jeans and a sweatshirt, but that was a pretty good picture. And she still looked majestic, even with her hair in a messy bun and her jeans ripped from the knees.  
  
"Yeah?" She asked, almost blankly. "You wanted to meet me here...?"  
  
I smiled. "Well, first off I have to tell you that you look wonderful tonight." I said, still in my little fantasy.  
  
Lizzie looked down a little and I could tell she was blushing as she undid her hair and let it low over her shoulders, just like in my dream. "Sorry, I was working on something but it sounded kind of urgent... I didn't have time to change."  
  
"Don't worry, I like you natural." I chuckled as I stepped a little closer to her.  
  
"So what's this all about?"  
  
I clammed up. "About?" I asked, as if it were some foreign language. "It's about... about..."  
  
"You want to break up, don't you?" She whispered.  
  
"Yes... I mean no! I mean... we're not breaking up." I said, hoping she had understood that.  
  
"Then what?"  
  
'Be to-the-point,' I thought. If I blew this... only God knows what would happen.  
  
Lizzie looked at me with a concerned face.  
  
"Are you ready for commitment?" I asked all of a sudden, not really sure where this was going.  
  
"Commitment on what?"  
  
"Our rela—our... our... us." I stumbled. "*Us*."  
  
"Us? A commitment on us? What is that supposed to mean?" She said, confused.  
  
I sighed. "God, Lizzie, you are really slow sometimes. So, I guess... I'll be frank with you."  
  
I took a deep breath. I was ready. Ready to ask her, ready to tell her. All prepared. This one moment. It's all that mattered. There had to be no flaw in my speech, not a single defect in my presence. I had to be charismatic, carefree, calm. I was completely ready.  
  
'Oh, heck, just get on with it, Gordon!'  
  
"Ever... ever since I was little, I kind of adored you. A strong admiration, I guess. Or addiction. I can never get my words straight. And as we got older, I started to... um... appreciate you being there for me. As a best friend... until... you know... and then I just kind of fell in love. Head over heels. I—I couldn't help it. And that wasn't *love*... just like... a strong version of like. And it got stronger until I kind of... man, I'm really bad at making speeches... um... realized that I loved you. Just recently. And I'd give anything for your happiness." I said, my teeth chattering the whole time.  
  
"That's—that's so sweet!" Lizzie exclaimed, and wrapped her arms around me, leaning in for a kiss. "I'm not sure if I love *love* you yet... but..." She trailed off mysteriously.  
  
I pushed her face away, but she didn't let go of me. "Wait..." I whispered directly into her ear. "I'm not done."  
  
She nodded and let go of my waist so we were just holding hands. "Go on."  
  
"Okay, and I know you've probably seen this a hundred times on TV and in the movies, and I honestly wanted an original way to do it, but..."  
  
I crouched down on one knee and she gasped. "You're not—"  
  
"Yeah." I said, taking out a ring from my pocket. "Elizabeth McGuire, will you marry me?"  
  
***  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
I almost fainted. He had asked me... ME... to marry him. Why me, boring Elizabeth Brooke aka Lizzie? Why not some super-skinny model from one of his movies? That always happened. It was always in the Hollywood gossip... some director falling madly in love with one of his actresses. I thought that was his destiny. Not me.  
  
And the question of marriage was just so confusing. Sure, Miranda and I had discussed it... for a mere minute or two. But something as big as this... it required a long, hard thinking. Weeks. Months. I was ready for commitment. Independence. Togetherness. Real adulthood. Children... maybe? And being in charge of an entire household... suddenly I felt like I was eight years old. I was so scared. Cleaning, dusting, cooking, basic parenthood. Was I ready?  
  
Was Gordo?  
  
I mean, I knew for a hundred percent that Gordo, with his big career and all, might not be around much. And that would hurt. Distance was always hurtful; I had experienced that over the last, what five years? I was only twenty-five... twenty-six in five days. Was I really ready for a lifetime commitment? I had my whole life left to enjoy. Maybe I could enjoy it better with Gordo by my side.  
  
Now that was a thought.  
  
But I didn't think all of this, nor did I care, until much later. I was too swept up in the magic of the moment. So, before any thinking, I whispered oh-so-dreamily, "Yes."  
  
Now Gordo, being Gordo and all, asked me if I was sure, because this meant al lot of hardships. And I said sure, as long as we were in it together. He smiled and kissed me lightly. Before I knew it, he slipped a perfectly crafted diamond ring onto my hand.  
  
"You think you can buy my affection with a rock?" I joked.  
  
"Hey, this was one expensive 'rock'." Gordo smiled as a few fireflies started to flicker on and off.  
  
"I can see that." I admired the ring. It was beautiful, with one big diamond in the middle and smaller ones circled around it, all on a gold band that fit perfectly onto my ring finger. "It's amazingly beautiful."  
  
He grinned. "I won't say anything cheesy to ruin the moment."  
  
"Go ahead and say it. Get it out of your system."  
  
"I had to find the most beautiful, most perfect ring to fit the most beautiful, most perfect woman." He said, winking at me.  
  
"I love it when you get all tacky on me." I said, fastening my arms around his neck. "So just kiss me, will you?"  
  
He obeyed quite obediently. Evidently, he was waiting for that kiss ever since he was born. Too tremendous for words, I'd say. Just me and him, kissing like Romeo and Juliet on top of Gemstone Hill, completely absorbed into the other, as the flowers swayed in the light breeze, the leaves rustled in the wind, and the fireflies glimmered.  
  
That day, June 14th, 2014, was probably the most memorable, most magical, and most miraculous night ever, ever recorded in my life. Everything was just right, me and him, he and I, Gordo and Lizzie, forever and ever. Perfect, all of it. Perfectly perfect.  
  
Just plain perfect.  
  
A/N: I left out all the stuff about them breaking it to their parents and all because it seemed ideal to leave it off right here. Two more chapters to go! Review please... it boots my ego, not to mention hurries my chappies! Btw, this chapter was revised so much... I'm tired... I still have to write a little more in Dakota Sunshine though... ~_~  
  
xoxo,  
  
PersonY2K 


	23. Till Death Do Us Part

Chapter Twenty-Three: Till Death Do Us Part  
  
A/N: Okay, second to last chapter! It's okay, don't worry, because I've got a whole NEW story on the line called Love and Life. (I know, I think of ideas every five minutes.) I first was going to do Matchmaker, then The Love Riot but then I wanted to do My Boyfriend Gordo and then I wanted to do Leaving Faith and then I wanted to do The True Matchmaker... but I decided those can wait.  
  
Love and Life needs to be written now, and I might start Leaving Faith while doing that. If anyone, ANYONE, needs an idea for a romance story, just e-mail me, I'll be happy to give you some... a lot. I mean, if I don't have the time to write 'em, someone else will.  
  
Oh, and a million sorries for not posting earlier. I've got good excuses, though. One... a six letter word called school. And autobiography... but that's like 12. Two... I've been to, like, three weddings aside from my cultural ones which are totally different. I have no idea how people plan one. All of this is a recollection of bits and pieces I picked up from books, movies, TV shows, and of course, real life. I rewrote this chappie several times before actually liking it enough to post it. And last, I was having writer's block and was completely lazy. Forgive me??? This chappie is so cute... Lizzie with pre-marital syndrome (aka the anxiety attack)!!!  
  
Dakota Sunshine is going really well... I might be able to publish it! Like, for real!!!! This chappie is dedicated to Hennis. We all'll (lol) miss you! Have a great summer.... I mean... life! This chappie is also dedicated to Mark, the oddest oddball in the universe. We have so much in common! You better not tell about the ahem! And the ahem. And the ahem, ahem. You always get what I'm trying to say... (Samiha... levels!) so much philosophy going around. We may have different religions, but still he same philosophies. God makes you forget so you don't remember the red shirt!!! Love ya! =D  
  
Peace to my "homies". (Toucan Sam!!!) Nancy, we love fop!  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
"Ooh, the pink! Choose the pink!" She exclaimed, pulling the tuxedo off the rack. "You'll love the pink."  
  
"Um... is it time for the 'Gordo's a guy' speech again?" I asked. "I'm not Miranda. I don't wear pink."  
  
Two months later I was back in Hillridge, ready to plan our wedding. That meant picking out everything from silverware to a church to tuxedos. Lizzie was psyched and seemed really excited about the whole thing, so I really wanted to please her. But a pink tux? I'd rather die.  
  
"But you'll look so... hot."  
  
"In pink?" I raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that what gay guys wear?"  
  
She made a face. "No necessarily... but you're right. Pink is so not... you. How about salmon?"  
  
"Salmon?" I exclaimed, wondering what moron thought of these awful colors. "That's just a fancy name for pink!"  
  
"Nuh-uh... it's a mix of cream, pink, vanilla, light red, light orange, and white." She said, pulling the salmon one forward.  
  
I rolled my eyes. "Which makes pink."  
  
"Salmon!"  
  
"I'm not wearing that."  
  
Lizzie wrapped her arms around my neck. "Please?" She whispered. "Pretty please?"  
  
"How about just black and white?" I said, kissing her cheek.  
  
"Salmon is better." She said, inching closer. "Like, almost sexy."  
  
I raised my eyebrows. "Oh, really?"  
  
"Oh, yeah." She giggled, pulling herself even closer to me. "Really, really, really sexy."  
  
"Sweetie, this is a public place."  
  
"I love it when you call me sweetie." She said as she kissed me on the lips. I couldn't resist and started making it deeper.  
  
And there we were, in the tuxedo store, making out passionately.  
  
"Lizzie, stop. There are children in the premises." I said, pulling away. "We don't want to look like two lovesick fools."  
  
"But we are!" She smiled. "But yeah, we're here to shop, not to kiss."  
  
"But then again, kissing is much more fun." I said, and kissed her.  
  
"Not as fun as shopping!" She grinned. "Or doing your nails or trying on clothes or..."  
  
"Okay, Elle Woods, calm down."  
  
"Can I help it if I'm a girl?"  
  
I snickered. "Lizzie, let's get back to the point. I'm not wearing a 'salmon' tuxedo to our wedding!" I frowned. "I'm getting the black one."  
  
"But there are so many!" She exclaimed. "How can you choose one?"  
  
"You don't." I said, flinging one off the rack. "Look, this is great. Let's go."  
  
"Why are you in such a rush to get out of here, anyway? Don't you want to marry me?" She made a sad face.  
  
"Lizzie, of course I do. It's just that I want to spend more time with you... I'm marrying you, not our wedding. I want to commit myself to you, not the wedding. I mean, I don't even care if we have a wedding or not. Just as long as I can spend my entire life with you."  
  
"Awww, that is so sweet!" She smiled. "But you know what? Ever since I was little, I've wanted to have this huge wedding bash with everything perfect. And now, I have a chance to make all those dreams come true."  
  
I nodded. "I know."  
  
"And besides, do you really think I would make you wear a salmon suit?"  
  
I shrugged. "I don't know... you are kind of..."  
  
"Flaky?" She suggested. "Odd?"  
  
"No... just kind of... girly."  
  
Lizzie blinked. "Is that bad?"  
  
I shook my head. "Now, come on, we've got to charge this thing." I looked at the tuxedo in disgust. Not that I hadn't worn one before, because I had... plenty of times. It was just that it was almost a thousand dollars. You could get a plethora of wedding supplies in that much money. But there weren't any cheaper ones in the store, and Lizzie insisted that I shouldn't wear one of the ones I already had, so it was pretty much my only choice.  
  
She giggled. "You're a multi-millionaire! Why does it matter so much, just a thousand dollars?"  
  
"Just a thousand?"  
  
"You are such a guy."  
  
I rolled my eyes and paid for the suit while the cashier put it in a plastic bag for me. Why did I love her so much? Why? I spent a almost ten thousand dollars on that ring, and now one thousand for a suit I was going to wear for three hours maximum. Plus the cost of the wedding; food, decorations, setting and all.  
  
"Loving you has made me poor." I said as I signed on the mini-computer.  
  
She kissed my cheek and headed for my car. "Loving you has made me rich. By accident, of course." She added so I wouldn't think she loved me for my money, which many girls did.  
  
I scoffed.  
  
Lizzie's POV  
  
"I can't believe I'm getting married!" I exclaimed to Miranda, who was fixing my hair. "I am getting married!"  
  
It was the day of our wedding, July 17th, 2015. Gordo and I had been engaged for a whole year. At first we were planning to have the wedding only two months after the engagement, but then decided it was best if we waited a year. It gave us more time to plan. Or, actually, me to plan. Gordo, after shopping for tuxedos and wedding dresses, said he really didn't want to have any part in planning the wedding. I thought of this as sort of insensitive, but the guy had a point.. What does a man want to do with a wedding? So that left it up to me, my mom, and Miranda to plan anything and everything that had even the slightest bit to do with the wedding, while Gordo shot more movies and watched TV. Gordo and I decided we didn't want the wedding to be a big Hollywood film festival, with famous people walking here and there and TV and camera crews stalking the place like animals. We were inviting a bunch of our friends and family, and keeping it top secret... away from the info-hungry media.  
  
Miranda smiled, spraying more hairspray in. "It's not that hard to believe. You and Gordo were soul mates. Everybody knew that. It was sort of obvious, too. You spent all of your time together. Everywhere. You guys belong together."  
  
"But what if I'm not ready?" I said, redoing my lipgloss. "I mean, I'm just a kid."  
  
She raised her eyebrows and chuckled. "Do you love him?"  
  
I looked at in her in disbelief, for this was not a question she had to ask. "Duh!"  
  
"Then you're ready."  
  
I smiled, and we worked on beautifying me for a few minutes. It was heaven on earth... me, a bride? With a frilly dress and a diamond ring and a groom waiting for me... an entire future just waiting to be discovered? My whole life was yet to be lived, and now... now I had to imagine it with Gordo by my side, guiding me through obstacles that came in the way.  
  
But...  
  
What about the bills, the taxes, the this and that? I had depended on my parents for all of that support. And what about children? That was my main concern. I was practically still a child; how was I supposed to raise my own kids? And all of that responsibility! Doing everybody's laundry, cleaning the house, making meals, and still having time to go to work and bond with my family. It was too much to take on? How come so many people could go through this?  
  
"I'm scared, Miranda." I whispered. "I can't be a wife. A fiancé... that's easy. But a wife... that's is a whole different story. I can't do this."  
  
She looks at me as if I had spouted wings and a tail. "You can't ditch your own wedding!" She exclaimed as she fixed my veil for the nine hundredth time that day.  
  
I thought about it for a second, and decided that marrying Gordo could wait. I was in no big rush of having sex or having kids or buying my own house. I was fine being Gordo's girlfriend for another few years. Just until I finished college, anyway.  
  
I stood up from the lighted mirror. "I'm not ditching." I said, admiring my gorgeous reflection. "I'm telling Gordo to call the thing off."  
  
(A/N: You know what happened here? I wrote about a page and stupid me forgot to save and then my computer clammed up and I lost all of it!!!! And I worked so hard and it was so clean and clear and perfect...! Grrr... I HATE technology...)  
  
"You can't do that!" Miranda exclaimed. "Everyone's already here and ready for the wedding!"  
  
I hesitated for a second and rethought the idea one last time. My final verdict:  
  
Who cares?  
  
"I don't care, Miranda! I'm not ready to get married. I can't. He can't. We can't. Bye." I dashed toward the door of the women's dressing room, and was hastily stopped my mother who was just entering.  
  
"Oh, look at my baby!" She cried, stroking my cheek. "All ready and dressed up for her wedding..." A tear slid down her cheek.  
  
"But it's bad luck for the bride to see the groom on wedding day!" Miranda called as I departed.  
  
"I'm not that superstitious." I yelled over my shoulder. "Anyway, we were making out this morning!"  
  
I ran down the hotel hallway, practically tripping in my five inch heels and fancy wedding dress and stopped at room 643 to burst in.  
  
There were about twenty men in the dressing room. Some were changing, some were grooming, and most were talking. Most of the activity buzzed around poor little stressed out Gordo, who was standing in a corner, listening to some guy blab to him, probably about his "past achievements" and "filming dreams". I rolled my eyes. What a suck-up!  
  
When I flooded into the room, all of the chit-chat stopped and all eyes became focused on me. No one said a word for a few seconds, and I just stood there, trying to catch my breath (It's hard to run in a twenty pound dress, you know.)  
  
"Um, David, I think your bride wants you." The guy next to him commented, and he made his way to the front of the room.  
  
"God, you look beautiful." He stared at me and I fell in love all over again. He started to kiss me, but I forced him to stop.  
  
"Look, we really, and I mean really need to talk." I begged, giving him my best sad-eyes. "Privately?"  
  
"Uh, why not?"  
  
I led him down the hall and to the courtyard outside, where we sat down on a loveseat swing together and stared at the sun shine brightly in the sky.  
  
"Well..." He prompted. "Talk away."  
  
"We... well... you and me... I, actually..." I sighed and gathered myself. "We can't get married."  
  
"What!?" His eyes grew large. "Why?"  
  
I pressed my lips together as an attempt to stop myself from crying and ruining Miranda and my mother's wonderful makeup job. "I just can't."  
  
He blinked.  
  
"Can we just postpone it, please?" I pleaded as he took my hand in his.  
  
He kissed my cheek. "Not unless you have a good reason."  
  
"I have a plenty good reason." I said, hesitating to think for a while. "Like, for instance... um..."  
  
"You don't love me." He whispered.  
  
I looked at him strangely. How dare he say something like that? He knew I loved him. I loved him to death. "Of course I do." I insisted as a tear tumbled down my cheek, blurring my vision and streaking mascara all over. "I love you, Gordo. I always will."  
  
He sighed. "Then how come... I want to get married! I can't live another minute being just your fiancé. I want to be known as Mr. Lizzie."  
  
I smiled through my tears. "And I want to be known as Mrs. Gordon, but... what about... you know... the marital stuff?"  
  
"Marital stuff?"  
  
"Yeah... like all those bills and rents and... and... all those other payments!"  
  
"Lizzie, we have enough money. Don't worry about that." Gordo wiped the makeup-streaked tears from my face.  
  
"Okay, but what about children?"  
  
That was a sensitive subject. Children to me seemed like so far away... like something my mother would handle. Just the thought of having a child, carrying around a thing for nine months and then raising it until it was 18... it was insane! I mean, I'd have to be it's counselor, it's idol, it's transportation to soccer practice. I'd cook and clean and do laundry and run errands. I'd be a... mother. A mom. I'd have to shop for back-to-school clothes and groceries and prom dresses. I'd have to yell and forbid it from going here or there. The responsibility load was just too much for me to handle!  
  
The thought of somebody calling me 'mom' made me shudder.  
  
"What about them?"  
  
"I can't have a child, Gordo." I said softly. "I am still a child! How am I supposed to raise one?"  
  
He closed his eyes and smiled. "So that's what this is about." He said, licking his lips. "You aren't ready for motherhood. But you're ready to get married."  
  
I didn't answer.  
  
He chuckled and ran a hand through his mousse-ified hair. "Honey, we don't have to have a child if you don't want to. Heck, I don't care if we don't have a kid until I'm fifty. Whenever you're ready... you know I'd never make you do that."  
  
"Really?" I asked.  
  
"I just want to marry you, Lizzie. How hard can it be? I mean, we've been together for our whole lives."  
  
"But what about your movies?" I bit my lip. "You're going to have to go direct movies here or there and you'll never be with me or the family!"  
  
He smiled slyly. "So now we're having a family?" He asked, looking at me knowingly. "Ooooh."  
  
"Gord-O!" I groaned and playfully pushed him to one side.  
  
"Okay, now really, I'll take you and the kids with me. It's no big deal, We'll work something out. I mean, we've lived apart since college started, right?"  
  
"Barely."  
  
"But we have."  
  
I nodded, giving in.  
  
"No more worries now?"  
  
I shrugged.  
  
"Do you want to get married?"  
  
"Sure." I said, smiling. "Let's try it out, and if we don't like it, there's always divorce."  
  
He pushed me away playfully and I giggled.  
  
Now I knew why I loved Gordo so much. He always made you feel so much better, even about the crummiest things. And he never made you feel stupid or inferior. And he was a really good kisser, not to mention so totally hot and a famous director. (I know, I'm so shallow.)  
  
We were about to kiss but then I started laughing. "Don't!" I pushed him away. "I'll mess up my lipgloss."  
  
He burst out laughing.  
  
I loved Gordo.  
  
Gordo's POV  
  
Lizzie and I were officially married.  
  
The "I do's" were over, and we had already kissed, which had made us formally man and wife, and I had never been happier in my life. It seemed to me, though, as if Lizzie and I had been married since we were born. Always together, always by each other's side, we didn't need to have a wedding. We were pretty much married even before the wedding.  
  
The reception was boring, if you ask me. It was cheerful, I admit, with merriment wafting throughout, and the various aromas of the foods mixing into the air, but boring. There was dancing to every type of music from waltz to rap, speeches that droned on forever, endless toasts, everything. You'd think it was the most fun in centuries, but honestly, I just wanted to be with Lizzie, preferably alone. At least the honeymoon was coming up, thank goodness for that. Lizzie seemed to be enjoying herself, happy to her fullest extent, but it didn't really have much of an effect on me. I wanted to go on with our lives, to stop celebrating now.  
  
And so we did. I told Clay no more movies for two months, and he agreed. I spent the time swooning over our newborn relationship and getting ready for the rocky path ahead. We rented an apartment on the agreement that we'd buy a house when we had our first child. When we had finally gotten settled into the apartment (about 4 months into the marriage), Lizzie became pregnant, as an unknown, unplanned surprise. She wasn't horrified, though (neither was I), and we agreed we would've decided to have a child in a month anyway. I automatically bought some land and together, with the help of Lizzie and some contractors, sketched a nice blueprint for our house, which she and I argued about obsessively. We settled at last on a not-too- large mansion, with some luxuries thanks to my salary.  
  
When the blueprint had been finalized, Lizzie was two months pregnant. They started building our mansion right away, and this is where the trouble began. I got summoned by Clay to direct a movie called Kirk's Round, which was supposed to be a major hit. I couldn't turn the job down and had to work, leaving poor pregnant Lizzie to handle everything, including the construction of our house. We shot the movie mostly in a small town two hours outside of LA, and Lizzie complained about me not being home when I had the chance. I said I'd be home soon, but right after the filming for Kirk's Round was done, I was asked to do another movie. I asked Lizzie what she thought, and she told me to go do it. I did, but we never saw each other, and that's when our marriage hit a rocky road. We had several fights then, and a few times I could've sworn she was thinking of divorce.  
  
It was almost June of the next year, and Lizzie was 7 and a half months pregnant when I finally came home to stay. I felt terribly guilty and apologized endlessly, and soon enough Lizzie forgave me (we then moved into the mansion) but frowning at all of the money I had made. She said she wanted to make money too, so she could feel as if she were giving to our marriage also. She graduated in May of that year (I almost couldn't attend) with a teaching degree (she still seemed a bit jealous of how fast I had gotten a PhD two years before she graduated), and got a job starting in August as a full-time first grade teacher. We hoped she had the baby by then.  
  
It was on our first anniversary dinner when Lizzie felt as if the baby were coming. I rushed her to the hospital and before we knew it, Ethan Gordon (named after the guy who Lizzie used to melt over) was born on July 17th, 2016 at 10:36 P.M. I think having a child brought us even closer together, if that's possible. I quit work for a while so I could take care of Ethan while Lizzie worked her butt off on her job, trying to lose weight, moaning about how terrible her body was, and grumbling on how this was such a terrible time to start working. She loved her job, though, it was obvious.  
  
That was also a tough time, trying to balance both our careers with the added pressure of taking care Ethan, so Lizzie resigned after two years of teaching and became a full-time stay-at-home mom. I knew she loved Ethan more than anything, even teaching. When Ethan was two, we (we preferred the term 'we' over 'Lizzie' because it seemed more couple-generated) became pregnant again. Nine and a half months later, Dylan (soon to be nicknamed Percy by his friends who all had P-names at age four, and the name stuck), a name Mr. McGuire always liked was born. After that, we became baby-making machines. We had Kyle (named after the hero in a movie I directed) and Camille (Clay's wife's name), fraternal twins, two years after Dylan, and then two years after them we had Lorraine (the name my parents would've chosen for me if I were a girl). Then in consecutive years, we had Brianna (soon to be known as Brie), a name Lizzie absolutely adored, Kacey (who changed the 'ey' to and 'i'), named after the girl I secretly liked in third grade (made Lizzie absolutely jealous back then), and Brad (we considered Bradley, but that seemed too old-fashioned), unmistakably after Brad Pitt.  
  
We took a three-year break then, and I concentrated on both helping Lizzie as much as possible on the many children we now had (eight!)... and directing about three or four movies a year. We very seriously considered stopping in the child department right there, for we were both 40 then, and we knew we would soon lose the ability to have children. Nevertheless, Miranda (who I thought we should call Brooke or Nicole, my past crushes and girlfriends, but Lizzie refused to have children with the name of the women whom I could've married instead of herself, so we named the child after our soulful friend) was born. We decided to stop right there, but four years later, Cory (whom we were actually trying to name Cody, after Miranda's husband (A/N: Cody Pierson or not, you decide...), but the nurse misunderstood Gordo's illegible handwriting) was born on accident. It happens.  
  
So we settled down in our cozy little home with ten children (Lizzie worked up endlessly to look fit again), at age 45, and soon became many magazines' favorite celebrity couple and/or family. We couldn't blame them; I mean we were the perfect family. Ten kids, two parents, one who was a big-shot director, four cars (one for me, one for Lizzie, one for Ethan, who was now 17, and one family SUV), and one spotless mansion (on the outside, anyway). Perfect. On the outer surface.  
  
Little did they know about the inside of our lives, the continuous times I had to leave the country or the state or even the city to shoot a movie, the many fights Lizzie and I endured, the somewhat rebellious children we had, and the everlasting havoc that stayed forever over our family.  
  
But I think that's why I loved it so much.  
  
A/N: So that where it pretty much ends. Like it? Yes? No? Well, I did, and writing this ending part with Gordo's POV was so much fun, creating their future like that...! I loved it!!! Keep your eye out for the epilogue, for this story's not completely over without a last reminder of how much Lizzie and Gordo love each other... it should be here in about two weeks, maybe less, maybe more. Well, now I better go to bed... it's sooo late... remember I love LONG reviews!!!! Love you all! =)   
  
xoxo,  
  
PersonY2K 


	24. Afterward

Chapter Twenty-Four/ Epilogue: Afterward  
  
A/N: Okay, everyone, listen up!! I'm going to also be writing in the Harry Potter section off ff.net now, but using a different penname. I'm Padfoot's Soul there. I'm very shortly posting a one-shot called The Mirror. Read that if you're interested, and if you're not... then read anyway! I'm not going to get any reviews for it probably, so I'm counting on you guys!

Hey, did you know about htis QuickEdit thing? I sure didn't!!! It doesn't let you have asterisks, though. I'll use it again later!!  
  
Over 300 reviews! God, I didn't think I'd make it, but I did! It's been about a year, right? Yeah... I think I started this when I was about to start sixth... now I'm a full-fledged seventh-grader! I know this chapter might not be too L/G, and sorry, but... I can't so anything else. I'm running out of love scenarios. And getting bored of this story. But I'll miss it.  
  
This chapter is most definitely dedicated to Lindsay Kyle and her family. Thank you so much for letting me study the ten of you for this story! It was so much fun!  
  
Camille's POV  
  
"Oh, yeah, it was really... green." I said, scrunching up my nose. "Like not teal, but like lime-ish."  
  
"Get _off _me!" Lorraine complained. "I have to start on my Greek project!"  
  
"It's not due until next year, you know." Brad said smart-aleckly.  
  
"Next year is next week!" Lorraine yelled, pushing on Cory's bottom. "Now get off!"  
  
Brad's eyes lit up as he pushed his glasses onto his eyes. "Just hold on a little longer, Cor. Five more minutes until she screams."  
  
"Brad, leave her alone!" Kaci scolded. "Don't egg him on!"  
  
"Shut up." Brad frowned and pushed her. She landed on the carpet.  
  
Kaci looked taken aback. "Those were new pants!" She gasped. "How dare you!"  
  
Brad smiled with a superior look on his face. "That's what you get for bugging me."  
  
"Get him off!" cried Lorraine, Cory now on her head and giggling uncontrollably.  
  
"Lo-aine! Piggy bag! Piggy bag!"  
  
I rolled my eyes. This was so stupid. I couldn't believe she couldn't get a two-year old off her back. And not any two-year-old, but Cory, the most wimpy-but-evil kid in the world. Lorraine was supposed to be a tough girl.  
  
"Just give him his piggy-back!" I yelled over the commotion. "Brad, Kaci, shut up! I'm talking to Claire."  
  
Lorraine pushed his butt off her back and he landed on the ground with a thud. "Oh, you're gonna get it now!" She screamed, and started chasing after a frightened-but-satisfied Cory.  
  
Welcome to my family.  
  
I'm Camille Gordon. I'm fourteen. I've got nine siblings, and two parents, and not to mention two dogs. I don't really get why my parents decided to have ten kids, because it really is no day at the mall. I guess it's because they're hopelessly in love with each other. It's really sweet and all... but they get really annoying sometimes.  
  
Having nine brothers and sisters might not be fun, but it's definitely hectic. A nuisance, even. Like now, for instance. Cory was sitting on top of Lorraine-the-pain and Brad was annoying her and Kaci was trying to stop him. And that was just in the living room, where I was sitting. Who knows where the other five were?  
  
I guess I'll introduce you to my family, since it'll get really confusing otherwise. Ethan is the oldest Gordon child. He's nineteen. He just recently started college at LAU (he's going to live here until he can afford a house) and loves it. He's very studious, smart and intellectual, but he has a temper the size of Texas. He's nice though, when he's not studying or in a bad mood. And his smartness level has taken him to very nice places. He's won a lot of contests and awards.  
  
Next comes Percey, age sixteen. His real name is Dylan, but nobody really liked that name and his friends' names all start with the letter P (Perry, Phil, and Peter, and his girlfriend Penny), so they changed it when he was six. He's a jock. A real big jock. Mr. Quarterback. School is the last of his priorities. He's always out playing sports or with Penny, so we don't see him much, but when he is here, he's okay. He really cares about our family, and helps out whenever he can.  
  
Then come me and Kyle. We're twins. Kyle is a weirdo, I have to admit. He changes girlfriends like every week and seems like a really tough guy. He spends a lot of time in the principal's office. We Gordons love him and all, but sometimes it feels like he doesn't really belong in our happy family, which is fine with him. He means well, and he'd never hurt anyone, but he's always in trouble at school and has a really bad reputation. But he's a little straightened out now, but still sort of creepy sometimes. We still have our twin vibe thing, though.  
  
As for me, I'm a girly-girl. Shoes, boys, gossip, makeup, friends, whatever. My best guy friend Dustin says that I'm shallow, but I can't help it. My mom says that I'm a lot like her when she was fourteen. I highly doubt that. I can't imagine my mom feeling self-conscious and buying lipgloss. She's very motherly.  
  
Next in line is Lorraine (twelve), who gets really mad if you call her Lori. She's a pest. Loud and daring and bold. Stubborn. But very sneaky. I think she's actually smarter than she let's on, but she uses her brains to trick my parents into saying yes about stuff they wanted to say no to and junk like that. She's a big tomboy.  
  
After Lorraine is Brianna, whom which we call Brie.(She dots the 'I' with a little sun) She's a sweet little eleven year old who is so innocent (never gets in trouble), but very dreamy. Giggly. Curious. Simple. Always asking why and how. She's probably my favorite sister, because she considers me as her role model. It is so much fun to talk to her about boys and movies and stuff... Brie is great.  
  
A year younger than Brie is Kacey, but she prefers Kaci. She's a bit dramatic for ten, and a primadonna. Very attention-seeking. Pretty annoying. She is popular, pretty, everything Sierra Williams (most popular girl in my school) was in fourth grade. She's in a whole bunch of clubs and groups and blah. She even won the Junior Miss Beauty Pageant! And she comes first in our family in the clothing department (can you believe I'm number two!). She's the most spoiled of us Gordons.  
  
Brad is nine. He's the future nerd of the century. Not that he isn't nice, because he is, but I can tell he's going to have a hard time finding a social place in school. He's crazy for math, and he can already do algebra. And he's so little! A shrimp. But no one teases Brad, no way. He's really tough, and knows how to stand up for himself. I admire him for that.  
  
Six-year-old Miranda is definitely the baby of the family. She loves to whine and scream and beg. You'd think she were three or something. But I guess she's used to being babied by everyone (except Cory), but honestly, she gets so annoying. My parents say that she was named after their best friend Miranda, but I know her very well (she comes over to our house a lot) and she is nothing like our Miranda. Miranda Gordon is a whiner.  
  
Last, but not least, is Cory, age two. He is a little rambunctious for his age, but that's okay, because he never really bothers anyone unless they don't give him his piggy-back. He's really sweet most of the time, like plucking dandelions and presenting them to you with a hand behind his back and grinning, which makes up for his lack of strength.  
  
Now it's time to meet the parents.  
  
My father, David Gordon, is a movie director. A famous movie director. He doesn't act like it, though. He's usually home before dinner and never acts mean or bossy like you'd think a director would be. He's really funny and is always making time for everyone. But sometimes he gets a little sarcastic, which kind of is scary because that means he's mad. It's usually Kyle that gets him mad, but we all do it once in a while.  
  
My mom is the most motherliest mother in the world. She's always carpooling or making cookies or chaperoning or chauffeuring. She yells at us for not cleaning our rooms or not doing our chores (yes, even kids of the rich and famous have to do chores), but it sooo nice. She'll buy us practically anything, and she's hardly ever in a bad mood. She loves to cook, and although cleaning isn't her thing (she makes us do it for her), her home- cooked meals are amazing, unless she makes Grandma Jo's chicken-noodle casserole. (Then I'd have takeout.) She's always giving advice, even if we don't want it, but usually, it's helpful. And she loves telling stories about her childhood or whatever.  
  
My parents, as I started before, are in complete and total love with each other. They're always kissing and flirting and being so much "in love". They're obsessed. My mom says they've known each other since they were born. I can't imagine that, my mother and father playing together on the playground at age five, but they claim it's true. They even have pictures. But even despite that, there are always fights. You can sometimes hear them yelling from all the way downstairs, but that's the weird thing about them; they make up in about ten minutes. Neither of them can hold much of a grudge. (Well, maybe dad can, but I don't know).  
  
So, anyway, I was talking on the phone with my best friend, Claire Adams, about our two-month stay in New York City. I wouldn't call it a 'vacation'. No, not when your parents are making out and your older brothers are fighting for the biggest room and you younger siblings are whining about the lack of cable in the hotel. We only went there because my dad had to shoot a movie, but that doesn't mean I didn't have fun.  
  
"Lime? That sounds really weird. New Yorkers must be freaky, with lime lipstick."  
  
"I dunno. They're kind of cool."  
  
"So, how was the rest of your trip?" She asked.  
  
"Get off the phone! I have to call Penny!" Percey announced, storming into the room.  
  
"Hold on a sec, okay?" I asked Claire, and returned to Percey. "Use your own phone!"  
  
"Ethan's on it!"  
  
"Why is he on it? It's yours!" My mom, who was chopping vegetables, yelled from the kitchen over the sound of the TV and the blender.  
  
"He's paying me!"  
  
"Then get on the other line." I suggested.  
  
"Brie's using it!"  
  
"Then ask her!" Mom yelled back, exasperated.  
  
"I can't! She'll start lecturing g me on the importance of communicating with others or whatever!"  
  
"Then just go to Penny's house!"  
  
He groaned. "Fine."  
  
I rolled my eyes and picked up the receiver. "Okay, so _anyway_, NYC was cool and all, especially after meeting Clarisse Dowells."  
  
"You met Clarisse Dowells!?"  
  
"Hey, everyone, I'm home!" My father burst in through the front door and ran into the kitchen. "Guess what the new movie's called?"  
  
I rolled my eyes. "'Be Quiet, I'm on the Phone'?" I asked.  
  
He grinned and hugged my mom. "'Roman.'"  
  
"Oh my god, Gordo!" Mom smiled. "Really!?"  
  
I shook my head. I have no clue why my mom calls my dad 'Gordo'(it sounds nothing like David), but whenever she does, it means they're going to kiss. And this time was no exception. I watched in horror. But what was so great about "Roman"? It was just the same as "Californian" or "American".  
  
I scoffed and left the room to get some privacy. I pounded up the stairs and into my room and closed the door.  
  
Ahhh, silence.  
  
"What happened? How'd you meet Clarisse?" Claire asked eagerly.  
  
"She's in the movie, duh."  
  
"God, you're so lucky!" Claire exclaimed. "What was she like?"  
  
"Um—well..."  
  
I heard a knock on the door.  
  
Lorraine walked into the room. "Mom wants you downstairs."  
  
I groaned. "I'll call you back. So sorry." I mumbled into the receiver and threw it on my bed.  
  
"Camille!" My mother yelled.  
  
I ran down the stairs. "What? It's not my night to do dishes, it's Brie's."  
  
"You're babysitting tonight."  
  
"But I have plans, mom!" My eyes bulged. "And what about Ethan?"  
  
"He's going to the library to study."  
  
"Then Percey!"  
  
"He has a date with Penny."  
  
"Kyle?"  
  
"He's doing community service tonight." She squinted at me. "What are your plans?"  
  
"I was going to hang out with Claire and Dustin."  
  
"Have you arranged that yet?"  
  
I bit my lip, knowing what was coming. "Well, no, but I wasgoing to!  
  
"Well, you're babysitting then."  
  
"Where are you guys going?"  
  
"You're father and I are going on a celebration dinner." She said, looking wistfully at my dad.  
  
I pouted. "Fine. Whatever."  
  
I sat in my room, flipping through a magazine, wondering why I always ended up babysitting. 'Probably because my brothers are so busy with their lives,' I thought. 'Or maybe it's because dad makes so many movies that my parents are always going to celebration dinners.'  
  
And honestly, I didn't get the point of celebrating the naming of a movie. He did that, like, four times a year. It was no big deal. But my parents had to go celebrate. And then they'd go when it was finished filming, and when it premiered at the special theater, and then when it premiered nationwide. Then they took all of us with them. Premiere parties were okay, meeting the stars and all, but the dinners afterward... big yawn.  
  
Sigh. You would think a life like mine would be cooler. But no, that'll be your undoing. Having a famous father did not change the fact that I was still a normal kid. I went to a normal school (where new kids tried to get me to give them my father's, or someone else famous' autograph), I did normal things, and yet it didn't feel normal at all.  
  
I heard someone knock. "Camille? Dustin's here."  
  
I perked up. At least someone could keep me company. "Come in."  
  
My best friend walked in and with my mom behind him. "Your father and I are leaving now. See you kids at ten-thirty!" She closed the door and left.  
  
"Hey." Dustin said, sitting down on my bed. "Babysitting again?"  
  
I made a face. "Yeah."  
  
"Oh. You want me to help?" He asked, smiling. "I love your family."  
  
I scoffed. "Yeah, you and you only."  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "Why? What's wrong with it? I've always thought that you had the most perfect family, and so does everyone else."  
  
I shrugged. "Well, yeah, but you don't live this awkward life. It's like I'm in the middle of being a normal kid and a famous kid. It's not fun, especially with nine people bugging you and two nagging you all the time."  
  
"I bet Ethan feels more pressured than you do, since he's the oldest." Dustin said softly, looking at the ground. "But then, you're the oldest girl."  
  
I nodded. "And my brothers are so busy. It feels like I don't have time for myself anymore, with all the babysitting I do. I feel like I don't exist outside of this house." I sighed. "I need a life."  
  
Dustin smiled. "You have one."  
  
"Not outside my family."  
  
"Uh, hello, look who you're talking to."  
  
I smiled. "But you and Claire are different."  
  
"How?"  
  
"I don't know." I sighed again. "I need a boyfriend."  
  
He rolled his eyes. "Uh..." He said, acting dumb. "Let me guess... Jordan Craft?"  
  
I smiled. "The one and only."  
  
"I don't know what you see in him." Dustin shook his head. "I feel sorry for his mom, though, to raise him on such a short salary."  
  
"Well, she had to divorce his idiot father. It's not his fault." I scowled, and then smiled. "You know my mom knows his mom?"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah. Her name's Kate. She lets me call her that, because Mrs. Craft doesn't seem right." I laughed. "My mom loves it when people call her Mrs. Gordon."  
  
"Yeah, I imagine she would." He chuckled. "So do you see her often, or more to the point, do you see Mr. High-and-Mighty often?"  
  
"No, but his mom comes here, like, once a month. She and my mom are friends. She says that Jordan's dad was a creep. My mom knew him too. She says Jordan inherited his looks form him. Now, back to the subject of Jordan..." I started. "Look, I heard he doesn't have a date yet for the dance."  
  
"So ask him."  
  
"No!" I exclaimed. "I mean, I can't."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because, he'd never want to go out with me. I'm not pretty."  
  
Dustin smiled. "Yes, you are."  
  
"Well, I'm not popular."  
  
"So?"  
  
"I'm not smart."  
  
"Look, Camille, I don't think Jordan wants a smart girl. I'm not saying that you're dumb, it's just that I don't think that he can actually understand smart girls."  
  
(A/N: This is so cool! This is a lot like First Kiss!!!)  
  
I laughed. "Don't say that!"  
  
"He's stupid, you have to admit."  
  
I said nothing. Dustin was right, as usual. After a long pause I spoke. "He'll never like me." I said, my eyes welling up in tears.  
  
"Camille?" He asked, scooting closer to me. "Oh, come on, it's okay."  
  
Hearing that hade the tears spill over. "No it's not!" I said through tears. "Jordan doesn't even know I'm alive!"  
  
He put his arm around me and pulled me close to him, my tears dripping onto his hand. "You don't need him."  
  
I was about to protest, but I just cried more. "Everyone hates me!" I sobbed. "This family hates me! Jordan hates me!..."  
  
"I don't hate you." Dustin said soothingly, smoothing my hair.  
  
"You don't?" I looked up at him, tears still streaming out.  
  
He kissed my cheek. "No."  
  
"Well, everyone else does!"  
  
"No one hates you, Camille. You're perfect. Nobody can hate you." He looked into my eyes and smiled. "Okay?"  
  
I stopped crying as a tear dripped off my chin and onto his hand, which I now noticed was holding mine. I stared at him. He had the most gorgeous eyes I had ever seen. They were green, a bright bluish green with small flecks of gold. And his hair, that golden brown hair, was so shiny, and so wavy. His smile... he had perfect teeth. He was a god... how come I didn't notice this before?  
  
"Okay." I whispered, and before I knew anything was happening, I leaned forward and he leaned forward and we leaned and leaned until our lips touched. Kissing Dustin was just about the best thing I had done in fourteen years. I had never known he was so good at it. But my tear- streaked face against his... it felt like heaven.  
  
The door swung open. "Camille! Brad just..." Lorraine stopped dead. "Oh, my god!"  
  
Dustin and I broke apart immediately, and that's when I realized...  
  
I had just kissed my best friend.  
  
"Mom, we've got to talk." I demanded as my parents walked through the door at ten-thirteen. "Now."  
  
Dustin and I had avoided each other entirely the entire evening, and he finally left at nine when the mess Brad made was cleaned up. I knew he didn't want to hang around the house after everyone was asleep... it was dangerous for us to be alone together. I had made Lorraine promise that she wouldn't tell anyone what happened, and sealed it with a ten-dollar-bill.  
  
At first I had hesitated to telling my mom, because she'd probably make a big fuss about it, but I had to tell someone, and Claire went to sleep early on Mondays. And my mom was an expert at these kinds of disasters.  
  
My mother took off her high heels and looked at me strangely. "What, you didn't break anything, did you?"  
  
'Maybe my friendship with Dustin,' I thought, shaking. "No." I said hastily. "But we have to talk."  
  
"Okay, then, I'll be upstairs." My dad smiled at me. "Don't want to get in the way."  
  
"Thanks, dad." I smiled back weakly as he dashed up the stairs.  
  
"Now what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" She said, plopping down on the couch. I sat down next to her.  
  
"Mom..." I took a deep breath. "Have you ever done something you shouldn't be doing with someone?"  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"  
  
Great. I'd have to be blunt.  
  
"I kissed Dustin." I said quietly.  
  
Her eyes widened. "Really?" She asked, half-smiling, half-disbelieving.  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Really!" She exclaimed, trying to hide her excitement. "Goodness, Camille, what possessed you to do that?"  
  
Well, at least she wasn't mad. "Well, he was right there." I said pathetically. "And I was crying. And he... I..."  
  
How had it happened, anyway?  
  
"I get it." She smiled. "So, do you like him?"  
  
"Um.. I'm not sure." I shrugged sadly. "But I can't believe I never noticed how cute he was before."  
  
"Just cute, huh?"  
  
"Maybe more..." I said, smiling and feeling a little better.  
  
"This was bound to happen... I can't believe I didn't see it coming." She sighed. "You know, I kissed my best guy friend once."  
  
"Really?" I said with disbelief. "How'd everything turn out?"  
  
She smiled. "It was the best thing that ever happened to me."  
  
"I thought getting married to dad was."  
  
"No." She said. "Kissing your dad was."  
  
It took me a minute to understand what she was saying, but I finally got it. "You... you and dad... you mean I might end up marrying Dustin!?" I exclaimed incredulously.  
  
"You never know."  
  
"What happened after you kissed him?" I asked, curious now  
  
"Well, we were in Rome, on a school field trip, and I had met this boy, Paolo, I think, and he was a famous singer. Your father suspected him to be a fraud right away (he was always really smart), but I didn't listen..."  
  
THE END  
  
A/N: And so it does end, right here, the legacy of Lizzie and Gordo, friends then lovers. My biggest and most hit story. I'll miss this story, I positively will, but we must move on, people, and here I'm moving onto Love and Life, which I hope is a big hit too. And of course, you can always find me on the Harry Potter section as Padfoot's Soul, remember to read there if you can! Long reviews are appreciated. Love you all and ciao!!   
  
xoxo,  
  
PersonY2K


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